GOAL Peterhead 0-2 MONTROSEpublished at 15:18 Greenwich Mean Time 30 November 2024
Kane Hester
Kane Hester adds his second after the striker opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
Derek McInnes admitted his frustration after Kilmarnock's "winning performance" only resulted in a comeback draw against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.
Teenage substitute Bobby Wales scored moments after coming on to rescue a point for Kilmarnock after Lyall Cameron's second-half strike put the visitors ahead.
"From looking at the stats and even just the feeling we got, it felt like it should’ve been a winning performance, but it wasn’t because of one moment and because we didn't take the opportunities when they came along," manager McInnes said.
"Frustration is the feeling in general. The performance in the second half was exactly what we were looking for. We’ve had to do it the hard way after losing a poor goal."
Kilmarnock - now winless in four league games - stay 10th while Dundee remain seventh.
Games between these two have tended to finish either 2-2 or 3-2 in the last season and a half, so goals were expected.
The first half was a bitter disappointment, though. Dundee started strongly, Jordan McGhee had a chance well saved, but Kilmarnock were well off the pace and struggled to adapt to their new 3-4-3 system.
Cameron and Simon Murray went close too, meaning Tony Docherty's side might have felt more aggrieved to go in goalless.
Whatever McInnes said at half-time seemed to work - initially. Gary Mackay-Steven had a shot well saved before blazing over from near the penalty spot.
Dundee made them pay for that profligacy, as Robbie Deas failed to clear a cutback and teed up Cameron perfectly, who finished well from 10 yards out.
Within 10 minutes, Kilmarnock had their equaliser. Wales, who scored a hat-trick in midweek for the reserves, entered the fray and soon lashed brilliantly into the top corner after Brad Lyons got down the left well and found Vassell, who laid off to the 19-year-old.
The hosts should have won it from there. Marley Watkins went one-on-one but Jon McCracken saved, and Lyons scuffed his follow-up.
Wales could have scored with the final play of the game, but McCracken made another fantastic save.
Eyebrows were raised by McInnes' starting XI. Two wingers, three strikers, and just one central midfielder. There was a change of shape, with Bruce Anderson, Vassell and Watkins up top.
Despite that, the lack of attacking threat was apparent. Lyons and Corrie Ndaba, playing together in midfield, didn't offer much creativity and Murray and Mackay-Steven took a while to get going.
It started to click after half-time, but as soon as Wales came on he offered more threat than the three senior strikers above him.
Capable of turning a defender, he also had the confidence of youth to take shots on and came close to scoring an incredible second.
He's certainly pushing for a first-team place now.
Only Hibernian have lost more points from winning positions than Dundee this season. Had they been able to hold on in those games, they'd be in third.
The opening goal came at a strange time. Dundee dominated the first half but couldn't capitalise, yet scored when they were under the cosh as Kilmarnock roared out of the blocks after half-time.
Cameron continues to fill the Luke McCowan-shaped hole in midfield at least, while they finally got a solid goalkeeping performance.
This time it was from McCracken, preferred to Trevor Carson for "competition reasons" according to Docherty. After a few saves that won his side a point, he might have put some credit back in the bank.
Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes: "We were the better team. We were a bit slow out the traps, Dundee started much better than us. They played percentages, got it in channels and we never really got going in that first 10 or 15 minutes.
"We were terrific second half, relentless with our work. Good opportunities, more shots and corners, and I'm disappointed not to win the game."
Dundee manager Tony Docherty: "It was a good point for us away from home. One of the most difficult fixtures in this league is Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
"I'm disappointed, after leading 1-0, to concede a goal. We'll pick through the bones of that. We can defend that better, but it's a decent result."
Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 4 | 36 | 37 |
| |
2 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 15 | 13 | 32 |
| |
3 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 23 |
| |
4 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 23 |
| |
5 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 19 | -3 | 19 |
| |
6 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 25 | -6 | 18 |
| |
7 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 26 | -3 | 16 |
| |
8 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 27 | -15 | 15 |
| |
9 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 27 | -10 | 13 |
| |
10 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 27 | -11 | 13 |
| |
11 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 25 | -7 | 12 |
| |
12 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 24 | -9 | 9 |
|
Manager: Derek McInnes
Formation: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2
Manager: Tony Docherty
Formation: 3 - 5 - 2
Manager: Derek McInnes
Formation: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2
Manager: Tony Docherty
Formation: 3 - 5 - 2
Scottish Premiership
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Kilmarnock have only lost one of their last seven Scottish Premiership home games against Dundee (W3 D3) and are unbeaten in four (W2 D2) since a 0-1 reverse in May 2017.
Dundee’s 3-2 win over Kilmarnock earlier this month was their first in 12 Scottish Premiership meetings with Kilmarnock (D7 L4). The Dark Blues last won successive games against Killie in the competition in August 2015 (run of 3).
Kilmarnock have lost each of their last three league games; not since February 2021 have they lost more in a row in the Scottish Premiership (run of 8).
No side has kept fewer clean sheets (1) or faced more shots (197) in the Scottish Premiership this season than Dundee.
Kilmarnock’s Matty Kennedy has created more chances (31) than any other player in this season’s Scottish Premiership, although only one of those has ended up as an assist.