Dundee 0-1 Raith Rovers (3-1 agg): Hosts into play-off final despite defeat

Lewis Vaughan (right) gave Raith Rovers an early lead but it was not enough to overturn the first-leg deficit

Dundee held off a spirited Raith Rovers fightback to seal a place in the Scottish Premiership play-off final against Kilmarnock or Ross County.

Raith Rovers won the second leg at Dens Park, but not by enough to overturn the 3-0 first leg deficit.

Lewis Vaughan fired the visitors ahead in the first half, but the Fifers were unable to add to their lead.

Dundee will learn their opponents on Sunday, after which they will host the first leg of the final on Thursday.

• Reaction & as it happened

Raith needed to get on the front foot early. And, although Dundee could have taken the lead when Lee Ashcroft fired over from 10 yards, it was the Kirkcaldy men who were dominating and were rewarded with the lead.

Vaughan collected the ball in the box, turned and found a gap inside the far post to bring the play-off semi-final alive.

Within a minute it could have been 2-0 as Reghan Tumilty met a cross at the back post and misjudged the header, but he got a second bite at it and knocked a ball across the face of goal.

Kieran MacDonald had another shot on target as the visitors kept the pressure up.

Dundee were growing as a force though. Jason Cummings and Paul McMullan put efforts off target, and Max Anderson poked a shot straight down the throat of Raith goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald.

After the break, Ashcroft had a header saved and two inviting Charlie Adam crosses kept the Raith defence on edge.

At the other end Vaughan's shot was blocked by Cammy Kerr, a header from Kyle Benedictus was deflected wide, and Armstrong side-footed another effort past a post.

Dundee were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men when Adam, already on a yellow card, caught Ross Matthews late with his studs. But despite the pleas of the Raith players, the referee gave him a reprieve.

Armstrong lobbed over the bar from a tight angle, while Dundee packed their own box to repel a number of balls into the area.

As the game wore on, though, Raith were running out of ideas, with Dundee goalkeeper Legzdins having relatively little to do despite the visitors' territorial dominance.

And Dundee could even have salvaged a draw on the night when Osman Sow broke on the counter attack, but Tumilty's challenge took the ball away from him side as he was about to finish.

Man of the match - Fernandy Mendy

Raith were on the front foot for most of the match but Fernandy Mendy (right) was also a rock in defence for them

What did they say?

Dundee manager James McPake: "The players were excellent again. We stressed they might score early.

"We had real chances as well that would've made it more comfortable. We just had to get through the tie, forget the performance. The tie was won on Wednesday."

Raith Rovers manager John McGlynn: "I'm very proud of the boys. We can possibly look back at the disallowed goal at Stark's Park on Wednesday [at 1-0] and wonder what difference that might've made.

"The players gave it absolutely everything. We normally play a possession-based game but we had to go for it."