Seven and hell as derby win eludes McCall

DUNFERMLINE 2

DUNDEE 2

Duff 12, McIntyre 79

McManus 71, Lovell 85

IAN McCALL'S epic quest for that maiden Dundee derby victory continues. His seventh attempt - and his team's ninth in total - was twice destined for success yesterday only to be pegged back in utterly typical fashion by their city rivals. Strikes from Stuart Duff and Jim McIntyre - one of only three players in the United team to have tasted victory in this fixture - found equalisers from Tam McManus and Steve Lovell to leave the fans from the other end of Tannadice Street still hoarding those mysterious things called bragging rights.

There were alternative verdicts from the opposing managers afterwards. McCall, with one eye on his side's CIS Cup semi-final against Rangers on Wednesday night, said his side could take plenty of "positives", while Duffy said his side merited "at least" a point after their second-half recovery.

The Dundee boss also added that he wouldn't give in easily to Aberdeen over the mercurial Fabian Caballero. "He will not be going anywhere unless someone gives us a pile of money, " Duffy said.

Nick Colgan had been thrown straight in after his loan move from Barnsley, while Barry Robson was unavailable through suspension.

Stuart Duff was an unlikely recruit in United's midfield, but the 23-year-old was to become an early focal point.

First he played in James Grady down the right, only for his drive to be deflected into the side-netting, then he secured his first senior goal.

Mark Wilson hung up a deep cross, McIntyre and Brent Sancho contested the first ball, and then, as Callum McDonald and Duff converged on the scraps, Duff forced the ball low past Derek Soutar.

Lee Wilkie and Neil Barrett got in each other's way from Steven Robb's enterprising run and cross soon after, but United were lording it in midfield. Next to threaten was Stevie Crawford, sprinting on to a Derek McInnes pass, his low finish somehow avoiding both the far post and the onrushing McIntyre.

The next drama for Dundee and Scotland fans was Lee Wilkie appearing to injure his left knee after a tussle with McIntyre. He soldiered on until half-time, when he was replaced by Bobby Mann.

Defensive partner Sancho, who had played in the Dundee derby where he sustained his previous cruciate ligament injury, later said he had "feared the worst", even if Duffy was upbeat enough to claim he had "just gone over on his ankle, and it was hopefully not too bad".

Dundee were now starting to create chances. Mark Fotheringham slapped in a 25-yard effort which Colgan could only palm out, and a weak penalty claim for a shove by Duff on McManus was waved away before Lovell forced another diving save from United's Irish goalkeeper.

The unwritten logic of the derby match saw the visitors getting a head of steam up after the interval. Colgan got a touch to Lovell's header, but only presented the ball to Caballero, whose shot from close range struck Alan Archibald and spun on the line before being hooked clear by David McCracken.

McManus should then have done better than head wide from McDonald's cross, but United's world eventually collapsed. McDonald manoeuvered Caballero to the bye-line, and the Argentinian's cross found McManus's forehead perfectly.

But a game of just three bookings had two twists left.

First Wilson shrugged off Caballero to pick out McIntyre for a header which took a flick off Sancho on its way past Soutar, then another McDonald cross picked out the near post run of Lovell, who claimed his 10th goal of the season. Whether he actually touched the ball or not remained uncertain. Not that it mattered to Dundee fans.

Subs: Brebner for McInnes 70, Dodds for Duff 81, Scotland for Grady 88.

Not used: Bullock, McLaren, Cameron, Kenneth.

Booked: Ritchie 65, McCracken 83.

Referee: J Underhill.

Subs: Mann for Wilkie 45, Sutton for McManus 74, Robertson for 89.

Not used: Jack, Larsen, Brady, Robertson, Kitamarike.

Booked: Lovell 65.

Attendance: 12,703.

FAST FOOTBALL

Fair result? Probably.United will point to the fact that they were twice in the lead, and could easily have been more than one goal to the good in the first half, but Dundee finished the game the stronger.

Entertainment value? Not an absolute classic, but enough football, and twists and turns, to keep just short of 13,000 fans glued to their seat.

Talking point: LeeMair's no-show after failing a fitness test deprived us of one issue, while Dundee's refusal to surrender their derby record safe guarded their three-point advantage at the foot of the SPL table.

Man of the match:

Derek McInnes threw his captain's armband away when somewhat inexplicably he was substituted shortly before United surrendered their first lead, and even though McCall claimed he had a"sore knee", the veteran gave United a platform in midfield.

Ian McCall: "It feels like a defeat but we've got to be positive with the CISsemi final on Wednesday.To be only1-0 up at half-time was a travesty. It was a big crowd and the fans gave the players a standing ovation."

Jim Duffy: "I am delighted that having been a goal down we came back to get something."

Copyright 2005 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
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