Dundee looked to attack from the off with Paul Dixon’s low ball intercepted by Gallagher ahead of Bob Davidson. Derek Lyle then combined with Bob Davidson as the latter chested the ball down for Lyle whose first touch set up the shot, and the second sending the ball goal wards but Gallagher got down to push the ball behind for a corner. In the 20th minute Mark Burchill looked to have the beating of the home defence to open the scoring but the former Dees front man was thwarted by the home keeper. Burchill looked to pass Samson on the right with only the keeper to beat, but somehow he got a fingertip to the ball to send the forward wide of the target before Scott Morrison’s rebound was plucked from the air by Samson. Just a minute later Danny Murphy cleared Milan Palenik’s header off the line from a Gavin Swankie corner before McDonald forced Gallagher into action from twenty yards. Craig Samson breathed a sigh of relief in the 27th minute after a kick up field from David Worrell’s pass back fell straight to Burchill who ran one on one with the keeper. His cut-back to Jim Hamilton looked destined for the top corner but Samson resurrected himself getting to and holding the ball while the defence struggled to come to his defence. Eddie Malone extended his stay at Dens Park this week as he signed a two and a half year contract, and although signed to strengthen the Dundee rearguard his attacking cross almost broke Dunfermline’s resistance. Derek Lyle attached himself to the cross with his header crashing against the crossbar, down onto the line and out as the Dundee fans re-took their seats from what they thought was the opener. The second half began much as the first half ended with a goal looking more and more likely. Paul Dixon’s slack header back to Samson was intercepted by Hamilton whose low shot was dragged wide and left the ex-Dee with his head in his hands. Paul Gallagher pulled off one of the saves of the match in the 57th minute as Derek Lyle’s thunderbolt was tipped around the post after link up play with Davidson. Craig Samson was then forced to save from Morrison on the break with Stevie Crawford failing to connect with the rebound. Calum Woods then connected with Crawford’s cross but Samson comfortably held the shot while Danny Murphy rose well to clear a Paul Dixon attempt with Lyle lurking in the area. Derek Lyle looked most likely in Dark Blue to open the scoring and he was again frustrated by Gallagher as the on-loan Norwich keeper tipped Lyle’s twenty five yard screamer over the crossbar. With fifteen minutes to go Gavin Swankie was replaced by Jan Zemlik while Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre introduced himself and Iain Williamson in place of Jim Hamilton and Michael McGlinchey. There was action at either end as both teams looked for the winner: Eddie Malone’s shot blocked by Calum Woods and sub Williamson’s headed effort the best of a scrappy last fifteen minutes. A point sees the gap between Dundee and Hamilton stay at three points with both teams having a break from league business for two weeks as the third round of the Scottish Cup comes around.
