Match ends, Dundee 1, Aberdeen 1.
DundeeDundee1AberdeenAberdeen1
- Rooney fires Aberdeen ahead on 36 minutes
- Dons denied a penalty before the break
- Dundee level through Stephen McGinn
Aberdeen missed an opportunity to draw level on points with Premiership leaders Celtic as they allowed a lead to slip at Dens Park.
Adam Rooney shot the visitors ahead on 36 minutes and Dundee were lucky not to concede a penalty when Willie Dyer handled a Niall McGinn shot.
A Ryan Jack error allowed Alex Harris to cross for Stephen McGinn to flick in the equaliser after the break.
Celtic can now stretch their lead to five points with a win later today.
Aberdeen maintained enough possession of the ball to be the more prominent side. Their full-backs tended to be involved as attacking outlets, while Jack and Willo Flood provided a solid base in the centre of midfield.
There was still room for wariness, though. The lack of a cutting edge would have troubled manager Derek McInnes, since the game seemed to drift along with little incident.
When there was a surge of anticipation, it came when Jamie Langfield rushed from his goal and knocked over Paul McGowan after the Dundee forward had nudged the ball forward with his head.
Dundee appealed for a penalty kick, but the judgement didn't fall in their favour. The sense of misfortune continued, since the home side were complicit in conceding the opening goal.
There was enough warning when Andrew Driver collected the ball in midfield and carried it towards the penalty area, but Dundee's defending was sluggish.
Driver eventually slipped a pass through to Adam Rooney, who was played several yards onside by the Dundee full-back Willie Dyer. With typically ruthless instincts, Rooney lashed the ball high into the net.
Dyer might have momentarily lost his focus and was fortunate not to concede penalty moments later, when he blocked a McGinn shot with his arm. The full-back would have argued that it was unintentional, but he turned his back on the effort while raising his arm in the air.
Aberdeen remained the more progressive side after the interval, but the missing link was prolific finishing. They ought to have extended their lead when the stooping Rooney met Shay Logan's cross, but there wasn't enough power on the header and the goalkeeper Scott Bain pushed the ball away from close range.
Dundee were only intermittently threatening. They fashioned a half chance when the ball dropped to David Clarkson inside the area, and the striker showed impressive technique to meet it on the volley as it dropped over his shoulder, but the ball flew across the face of goal.
The home side were not alone in being capable of ruinous errors, though. Jack should have cleared the ball or let it run from play near his own corner flag, but instead kept it in play with a back heel. That merely sent the ball to Harris, and his cross was crisply converted at the near post by McGinn.
An air of impatience shaped the final moments of the game, and neither side could find the composure or the clarity of play to deliver a decisive intervention.
Line-ups
Dundee
Formation 4-5-1
- 12Bain
- 19McGinn
- 5McPake
- 4Konrad
- 3DyerBooked at 58mins
- 47HarrisSubstituted forWightonat 82'minutes
- 48McGinn
- 10Thomson
- 18McGowan
- 11FerrySubstituted forStewartat 65'minutesBooked at 83mins
- 16ClarksonSubstituted forHeffernanat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Letheren
- 6Davidson
- 15Stewart
- 24Black
- 26Gadzhalov
- 33Wighton
- 49Heffernan
Aberdeen
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Langfield
- 2Logan
- 5Taylor
- 6Reynolds
- 3Considine
- 22Jack
- 8Flood
- 7McLean
- 29DriverSubstituted forPawlettat 66'minutes
- 9RooneyBooked at 89mins
- 10McGinnSubstituted forShanklandat 86'minutes
Substitutes
- 14Smith
- 15Robson
- 16Pawlett
- 17Goodwillie
- 20Brown
- 25Shankland
- 28Daniels
- Referee:
- Craig Thomson
- Attendance:
- 7,014
Match Stats
Home TeamDundeeAway TeamAberdeen
- Possession
- Home40%
- Away60%
- Shots
- Home6
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away3
- Corners
- Home2
- Away10
- Fouls
- Home6
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Dundee 1, Aberdeen 1.
Post update
Willo Flood (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Paul McGowan (Dundee).
Post update
Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Stephen McGinn.
Booking
Adam Rooney (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Adam Rooney (Aberdeen).
Post update
Paul McGinn (Dundee) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Willo Flood (Aberdeen).
Post update
Greg Stewart (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Aberdeen. Lawrence Shankland replaces Niall McGinn.
Booking
Greg Stewart (Dundee) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Shaleum Logan (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Greg Stewart (Dundee).
Substitution
Substitution, Dundee. Craig Wighton replaces Alex Harris.
Post update
Foul by Adam Rooney (Aberdeen).
Post update
Thomas Konrad (Dundee) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Stephen McGinn (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Post update
Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Scott Bain.
Post update
Attempt saved. Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner.
