Dundee 0
Dunfermline Athletic 0

It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t pleasant but sometimes a point gained after a backs-to-the-wall performance feels as good as a win. This was such a game, the Pars rearguard defending as if their lives depended on it, and even if they rode their luck at times, few Dundonians would begrudge the visitors their clean sheet.

Two weeks without a game had given time for injuries to heal and with Phinn having served his suspension it was a full strength visiting eleven which took the field in their yellow change strip.

Gallacher was in goals on his return to the city of Discovery behind a back four of Woods, Shields, Wilson and McCann; Wiles retained his place on the right wing, along with Glass, Phinn and Burke on the left of midfield, with Kirk and Bayne up front. Nipper was on an inexperienced bench, along with his namesake Ryan, Bell, White and sub keeper Reidford.

After a quiet start the home team had a flurry of corners in the 6th minute, but couldn’t create a clear-cut chance. Two minutes later the Pars had a corner of their own after Glass had his cross blocked, Shields and McCann having combined to send him clear, but this was equally ineffective.

There was a scare when Antoine-Curier got free but he couldn’t find the target after being forced wide by Wilson and midway through the half their was further trouble for the visitors when Glass pulled up lame with what looked like a tweaked groin. After initially refusing treatment he signalled to the bench that he couldn’t continue and was replaced by Bell. Almost immediately Gallacher made the first of many saves parrying an O’Brien strike before Pozniak fired wide.

In 38 minutes there were some heart-stopping moments as the Pars goal suffered a quadruple bypass; Having turned a Paton effort round the post the corner wasn’t cleared successfully; Gallacher stopped one shot, Shields charged down the second, the third came back off the post and Gilhaney blasted the 4th chance over.

Just as it seemed the half would end without further incident the Pars were reduced to ten men. Woods won the ball from Malone on the half way line but both players went to ground. Malone wouldn’t let Woods regain his feet easily and as the young Par struggled to free himself he appeared to back-head Malone in the face. When the latter crashed to the turf the red card was inevitable (above). As was the booking Scott Wilson picked up for dissent - seven in seven now for the skipper.

Half Time: Dees 0 Pars 0

Predictably Simon Wiles was sacrificed at half time for Scott Thomson, although the latter took over at right back, rather than Shields, who stayed in the centre. The Pars started the second half looking to maintain 2 up front with 3 in midfield, Andy Kirk using his mobility to cover deeper if required.

Despite their numerical deficit the Pars started brightly, winning a couple of corners, Thomson heading over from the first but this was a rare ray of hope as Dundee began to dominate.

When he was with Hamilton last season Mark Gilhaney had caused Greg Shields a lot of problems; today Nipper initially struggled to cope and in 57 minutes the winger skipped past the versatile veteran and pulled the ball back to Davidson who quickly turned it to Antoine-Curier but the number 10 headed past the far post.

It was now one way traffic; Pozniak fell under pressure in the box on the hour mark, but referee Norris pointed to the corner flag, not the spot, and after Bayne had picked up a booking for persistent fouling, Burke missed a chance to clear and gave away a foul at the corner flag. When the ball was whipped in Davidson crashed it off the post.