Saturday, May 02, 2009

Dundee 0 St Johnstone 1, Dens Park, First Division, 25/April/09

Steven Milne gave St Johnstone the most perfect of starts, poking a shot home after only two minutes following a great move between Collin Samuel and Gary Irvine which saw the latter try to shoot from an acute angle but succeed instead in teeing up his team-mate perfectly. Effectively, that first goal ended the contest because, despite Dundee's words of defiance pre-match, nothing much materialised from them and Dens Park manager Jocky Scott was left in no doubt about the size of rebuilding job required before next season.Goalkeeper Rab Douglas, one player who will remain in place next season, denied Saints several times with particularly good saves preventing Milne from adding another and then turning a Liam Craig free-kick round the post. He was also fortunate to see St Johnstone captain Kevin Rutkiewicz miss a routine header seconds before half-time. Dundee's enigmatic striker Mickael Antoine-Curier, often their best chance of a goal but, on the flip side, a liability when not in the mood, killed off any hopes his side had of getting back into the contest after the interval by hitting Martin Hardie with a crude elbow. For this indiscretion he was ordered off by referee Mike McCurry and will find his wage packet lightened by his manager.
Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, Posniak (O'Brien 61), Benedictus, Lauchlan, Shinnie, Young, McMenamin, Antoine-Curier, Efrem (Deasley 78).Subs Not Used: Williams, Daquin, Roy.
Sent Off: Antoine-Curier (62).
Att: 6,305
Ref: M McCurry