23/02/00 Dundee 1 Aberdeen 3
By Dundeefc.net
April 24 2002
WED 23RD FEBRUARY
DUNDEE 1(Bayne 87)
Aberdeen 3(Dow 48, Stavrum 55, Bernard 60)
Att:5,796
Subs:
Bayne (for Grady),
Banger (for Robertson),
Annand (for Banger),
Souter, Sharpe
After a desperately disappointing first half Andy Dow, Arild Stavrum and Paul Bernard all hit the net to score their fifth goals of the season and to win three vital points in their fight for survival, while Dundee got a late consolation through Graham Bayne, who scored his first senior goal for the club.
Aberdeen were dreadful in the opening period and had Dundee taken their chances the Dons would have been in trouble, but Dundee lacked the cutting edge after just one win at home this season.
A claim for a penalty in the 11th minute was turned down when Barry Smith threaded the ball through to James Grady, who nudged the ball past Jim Leighton before going to ground, and to the astonishment of the crowd referee McCurry waved play on. Both sides looked short of ideas as pass after pass went astray and attacks broke down.
Dundee, however, produced the first real move of quality in the 37th minute after Derek Whyte's fumbled clearance went to Willie Falconer, who gave it to Steven Boyack to curl a cross to Gavin Rae, but he could only head over. A minute later Rae blazed over before Robertson found Steven Tweed unmarked at the far post but the Dundee defender headed over when he should have hit the target. Then in the last minute of the half Falconer waved a leg at Rae's cross when six yards out which summed up the first half and Dundee's problems at home this season.
Two minutes after the restart Robertson's shot was swept away by Jamie McAllister and Falconer followed up to blaze wide of the post but Dundee were made to pay for their missed chances.
In the 49th minute Guntveit picked out Dow in the area and the midfielder's left-footed shot appeared to loop off Barry Smith and over James Langfield. Then a minute later Dundee went for the equaliser but Dow was again the hero as he cleared Falconer's pinpoint header off the goalline.
However, Aberdeen doubled their advantage in the 56th minute when Stavrum swept home Winters' cross. Dundee tried to hit back immediately and Bayne turned in the box after Boyack's corner but he was unable to keep his effort down.
Dundee were dead and buried in the 60th minute when Bernard fired home after Smith had cleared Stavrum's header off the line. Dundee almost reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute when Falconer's header from Boyack's cross scraped the upright but that summed up the home side's season at Dens Park.
Then with three minutes to go Dundee got a consolation through Bayne after everyone had left Falconer's tame cross. In the final minute Dundee defender Willie Miller hit a shot over Leighton but Bernard was on hand to head over the bar and it was too little too late for the home side - while Aberdeen go from strength to strength. Dundee were also denied a 2nd when Leighton scrambled the ball clear when it was clearly (except to referee McCurry) over the line.
What might have been was not helped by another diabolical refereeing display by Mike McCurry.