DUNDEE'S hopes of gaining ground on First Division leaders St Johnstone were dealt an excruciating last-second blow yesterday as Sean Higgins' curled free-kick rescued a point for the Highlanders.
For long enough, Antoine-Mickael Curier's 66th-mi
nute finish seemed destined to claim all three points,
but a dramatic finale to the game left the visiting support with a long, painful journey home.
The hosts had the ball in the net in the third minute when Mark McCulloch's cross had Steven Craig stabbing past Rab Douglas from eight yards. Craig was adjudged offside – and more frustration was to follow for the striker. After six minutes, McCulloch's second telling delivery was headed against the crossbar by Dyron Daal only for Craig to nod over from six yards.
At the other end, Dundee were not without menace and, from a Mark Gilhaney corner, Curier's goal-bound attempt was cleared off the line by home midfielder Paul Lawson. McHale, who earned what would be a costly first booking after 13 minutes, then fired a 20-yard drive inches past Malin's left-hand post.
County held most threat, though, and Craig missed another sitter three minutes from the break, hacking over the bar after Douglas failed to hold a Lawson dig.
In the second half, the game raged and Craig ripped a shot from the edge of the box but Douglas turned it behind.
County replaced Gardyne with hero-in-waiting Higgins but it was Dundee who took the lead in the 66th minute. Gilhaney dinked the ball across to Curier at the back post and he slipped it past Malin from six yards.
The Dark Blues went all out to finish the game off but were almost caught out when substitute Richie Hart sent his first touch crashing against the bar from 30 yards. With County pressing hard, Dundee went down to 10 men in the 85th minute when McHale picked up a second booking for a tackle on Higgins. There was further drama at the death when Gary MacKenzie was shown a straight red for a tackle on Craig as he bore down on goal. Higgins took the kick and bent it round the wall and low into the net for a deserved equaliser.
The full article contains 394 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
