The first half got off to a good start with Dundee knocking the ball about nicely and could have taken the lead when Savo Milne should have done better missing from about 8 yards out, but it would not have counted as he was ruled offside. As Killie struggled to get their passing game going it was route one when they scored the first goal. A long ball was knocked on by Gary Harkins and Heffernan took a good touch to score with a well placed shot. It was a bit hard on Dundee who looked more likely to score in the first 20 minutes, but it got tougher on 43 minutes. Gavin Rae was set to pass when he was tackled from behind the ball fell kindly for Harkins who fed in Shiels to score with a high shot past Douglas.
Second half started with no team changes for Dundee, and they took the game to Killie straight away, but the Killie keeper had little to save. But on 62 minutes they pulled a goal back when a great pass found the forward running Irvine who's cross was headed home powerfully by the on rushing Gavin Rae to give Dundee a lifeline. They kept pushing forward but did not have a clear cut chance apart from Milne being put through but his shot was easy for Bell to save. Graham Bayne came on for Ross Chisholm to try and find that vital goal, but time ran out and Kilmarnock will face Hibernian in the next round.
I can't fault the players over the two games they gave everything they had. It will let us concentrate on the league now, and first we face a trip to Firhill on Saturday.
Dundee: Douglas, Irvine, McGregor, McKeown, Lockwood, McCluskey, Chisholm (Bayne 82), O'Donnell, Conroy, Rae, Milne. Unused Subs: Gibson, Weston, Benedictus, Hyde.
Att: 4, 618
Ref: S. O'Reilly
