Dundee 1 – 0 St Mirren

Dundee secured a potentially priceless three points with a narrow 1-0 victory over St Mirren at Dens Park.

Joe Westley scored the only goal of the game in the first half, and although the Buddies had several chances of their own, they failed to take them.

The result means Dundee are now six points ahead of St Mirren, who have dropped into the relegation play-off spot with just three games left.

The hosts made four changes to the team that lost last Sunday’s derby at Tannadice with Drey Wright, Brad Halliday, Tony Yogane and skipper Simon Murray coming in for Imari Samuels, Scott Wright, Billy Koumetio and Ash Hay.

St Mirren made three alterations to the starting line-up from their own defeat to rock-bottom Livingston, with Jayden Richardson, Scott Tanser and Roland Idowu replacing Declan John, the suspended Alex Gogic and Jonah Ayunga, who suffered a cruciate injury against the Lions.

The Dark Blues had an early chance as Yan Dhanda advanced on goal but his strike was easily gathered by on-loan St Johnstone goalkeeper Ross Sinclair.

However, Dundee took the lead in the 12th minute. Cam Congreve delivered a cross from the right which found Westley and he fired the ball home off the inside of Sinclair’s post.

There was another scare for the Buddies in the 20th minute when Richard King headed a Dhanda cross on to his own post before Congreve and Westley combined once more, but this time the striker sent his snap shot just wide.

In the 40th minute, there was a quick VAR check for a possible penalty for a challenge on St Mirren’s Mark O’Hara, but no offence was found with Dundee heading down the tunnel at half-time with their slender advantage intact.

Shortly after the restart, Westley tried his luck from the edge of the St Mirren box but his shot was easily dealt with by Sinclair.

Buddies front man Mikael Mandron then unleashed a fierce drive from 22 yards but it flew straight into Dundee keeper Jon McCracken’s arms.

The visitors continued to press, with Richardson cutting in from the right and hitting a blistering strike but once again it was too close to the keeper, who punched to safety.

Just before the hour mark, St Mirren came close to drawing level when Allan Campbell found Mandron with a pinpoint cross but the striker headed just wide, with McCracken then having to look lively to divert a Phillips’ cross for a corner.

Dundee suffered a big blow in the 66th minute when McCracken had to be helped off down the tunnel injured to be replaced by Kieran O’Hara, making his debut.

Home substitute Samuels made a vital goal-line clearance in the 89th minute and in stoppage time Sinclair made a stunning stop to keep out a Hay header, but it was the home side who were celebrating at full time.

‘Derby defeat used to spur players on’

Dundee boss Steven Pressley:

“I thought they did only what they know and that’s to respond to criticism and disappointment. They have done it time and time again this season.

“There were a lot of accusations made about our performance last week and there’s only one way to respond. Words don’t have an effect, you have to do it out there with a performance.

“I used it today prior to the game. I reminded them of some of the criticism.

“I didn’t do it during the week, I didn’t want to bring that to our training because I wanted us focused and calm before turning the heat up today.

“I have been very vocal around it. We have had to endure a lot of difficult moments and a lot of doubt.”

‘We’re in trouble because we’re not clinical’

Interim St Mirren boss Craig McLeish:

“It’s a sore result and the performance probably doesn’t reflect it because we were bright and positive, especially in the second half.

“But it kind of summed up our season, we don’t score enough goals and are not clinical enough in the final third.

“That’s been the story of the whole year and is why we’re in the position we’re in.

“We’re not down there because teams are miles ahead of us, we are where we are because we don’t score enough.

“I think the top scorer is on four or five, so we have to carry that load throughout the team.

“It’s been a problem all season but it’s my problem now, so it’s not to hide behind it and use it as an excuse saying it was here before I was.

“I need to fix it, we need to find ways to do more in the final third.

“Teams aren’t cutting us open and causing us problems, we are causing our own problems.

“Next week was always going to be a massive game against Kilmarnock. It’s still in our own hands and we control our own destiny.

“We have to put today to bed, plan throughout the week for next Saturday.”

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