Dundee were left frustrated as they had to settle for a share of the points in the first game of the season at Dens Park today. Ayr United left Dens with a point after their hard work and graft helped them frustrate the Dark Blues.
Dundee started the game reasonably well and started to control the posession stakes with McCluskey and Riley beginning to trouble the Ayr United defence. However, it was Ayr United that struck first and with their first real attack on goal they scored. A corner in the 14th minute saw Moffat unmarked in the Dundee penalty area and from six yards, he headered the ball past Rab Douglas and into the back of the net. Dundee were shocked. The goal certainly came out of the blue.
To be fair to Dundee, they kept attacking and started to play some nice football. McCluskey was having a lot of joy down the left flank and his blistering pace saw him as a playmaker but unfortunately more often than not, he tried too much and lost posession. Riley had a chance but after he ran through the middle and onto goal, his shot was direct at the keeper and the keeper palmed the ball away to safety.
Dundee were beginning to sense that momentum had shifted their way and in the 30th minute, they equalised. Jamie McCluskey was integral to the build up in the goal. Briefly he switched to the left and after picking the ball up from a throw in he ran inside and from 20 yards unleashed a shot which went over the Ayr keeper and looked like it was going to drop into the net but instead hit the underside of the bar. Fortunately for Dundee, Jake Hyde was on hand to tap the ball in the net.
Dundee continued to threaten for the rest of the first half but for all of their posession and pressure, the Dark Blues couldn't find the goal to put them into the lead.
Young Leighton McIntosh replaced Jake Hyde in the 55th minute and gave Dundee some pace up front, He had the chance to give Dundee the lead after some good interplay from McCluskey and Riley but his shot from 15 yards smashed against the crossbar before Ayr were able to clear.
Ayr United showed their battling skills and magnificently into stoppage time they denied both McIntosh and Chisholm from grabbing the winner for Dundee with dogged and magnificent defending blocks. The final whistle eventually blew and Ayr United left Dens with the heads held high after a gritty and determined performance saw them grab a share of the points. For Dundee, it was a case of frustration. For all the nice football and posession we had, there was just no way Ayr were going to let their point slip away but encouragingly for Dundee, the signs were good in general and it's now onto Livingston next weekend.
Dundee FC
Riley, O’Donnell, Chisholm, McCluskey
Hyde (McIntosh 56), Milne
Unused subs: Gibson (gk), Benedictus, McGregor, Conroy
Goal; Hyde (30)
Bookings; Irvine
Cuthbert
Armstrong, John Robertson, Campbell, Smith
Moffar, Geggan, McKernon, McGowan
Wardlaw (Ross Robertson 78), Roberts
Unused subs: McWilliams, Burke, Tiffoney
Goal; Moffat 14
Bookings; Armstrong, McKernon
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