Dunfermline somehow escaped from Dens Park with a point, in which was one of the most one-sided games of football I've ever attended, albeit Dunfermline had a man sent off on the stroke of half-time. I lost count how many times we hit the woodwork, aswell as players blocking shots right, left and centre, (No, I'm not exaggerating).

I thought we played some wonderfull, coherent, fluent attacking football, with Paul McHale outstanding in the centre of the park. Craig McKeown came in for his first competitive start for the club since joining from Clyde, and was absolutely solid, alongside Gary McKenzie. Eddie Malone, I thought was excellent again, as was Eric Paton. Chris Pozniak gave another commited performance, working tirelessly for the team. Mark Glhaney, IMO had a poor game; confidence seems to be lacking, but the ability is there to see in flashes. On the other wing, David O'Brien impressed, particularly in the second half. Upfront, and one of the worst performances I have ever saw from Antoine-Curier. He was awful! Bob Davidson came in for his first start of the season and did no harm with a decent display. Great to see Colin Cameron come on for the last 20 minutes.

Back to the game - Personally, I was delighted at the effort by the players, and thought they played some great stuff. Definitely our best performance of the season, by a mile. I will have no worries if we play like that consistently.

Dunfermline deserve credit for the way they battled, but they offered absolutely nothing as a threat to Robert Douglas - one shot the whole match if I remember correctly. Anyway, 0-0 it was, and with the amount of chances we created it's a worry that our strikers didn't score at all, (Webby, I was wrong).

Overall, a fantastic performance, I thought, and one that would have merited a lot of goals on another day. If it was 6-0 Dundee, I don't think anyone could complain, but it wasn't and we need to start scoring, which is a worry.

Total shocker, how on earth did we not score ?

Curier is a fucking donkey and needs benched.

Did enjoy the wee period when we about scored 5 times was like a multiple orgasm OOOH OOOOH OOOOOOOOH!!!!

Wasn't at the game but would have probably taken a point beforehand and definitely once Woods got himself sent off. Next 3 games are against the bottom 3 sides and gives us a chance to climb the table.

Agree with all of that.

I also think we should have at at least one penalty, but can't be 100% sure (although I screamed for all of the potential ones at the time -- who doesn't?!).

Someone said to me before the game that we need 7 points from the next 3 games, or Rae's future should be questioned...so that's us needing wins against Livi and at McDiarmid. Sounds easy

I was looking away at the Red card incident but judging by how the Dundee player reacted did woods smack him one?

Sounds like Dunfermline should have strolled this one.

Did someone seriously say Rae's position ought to be questioned if he gets a bad run over the next 2 games? I would have thought DFCs board would be looking to avoid hefty severance packages on account of the perilous financial abyss they are hanging over.

What, you can't count to two?!

Quite an exciting game, if pretty nervous for most of the second half. While it's certainly true that we didn't make Douglas do very much, I thought we defended fairly well as a team after going a man down. Being a man short in a game in which we were already struggling was alwasy going to be hard, so I think some credit is due for the way we defended together as a team and managed to get a draw out of it. It's something that I've always been keen to praise opposing teams for doing, so obviously I'm happy to see my own side do the same today.

For us, Calum Woods was doing OK until he was sent off, and in the second half Scott Thomson did well too. Gilhaney never really threatened on that side, which was surprising given how he'd ripped us apart while playing for Hamilton last season. Alex burke and Nicky Phinn were both quite decent for us today as well, and I'm becoming more and more impressed with Burke's defensive play every time he plays. For someone who started as a striker and indeed who was still prolific in taht position in recent seasons, the work he does backtracking and stopping attacks is noteworthy.

McHale was the best player on teh park today though, no doubt about it. Particularly in the first half, he seemed to be everywhere, and it was obvious that he was always keen to take the responsibility for things. A good player to have. Although he was still decent in teh second half, he didn't seem quite as prominent. Davidson up front was better in the first half as well and looked quite troublesome up until half time, but he seemed to struggle more when we started to defend deeper in the second half, being a man short. Curier was indeed pretty terrible though. He really should have scored with at least one of those two headers he put wide, one past each post. As for the penalty shout when Davidson went down, my first thought was that it was probbably a foul, but I wasn't absolutely sure. I'd certainly ahve been screaming for it if it was us.

Although Dundee obviously had by far the better of the game, I'm fairly happy with how my side fought for each other and their manager, something that was seriously lacking last year, and managed to show a bit of determination to see the game out and get the point. Playing half the game with 10 men, a draw at Dens has to be seen as a good result. Happy enough with that tonight.

The referee told Jim McIntyre that the sending off was for elbowing. He certainly caught him, but having seen it a number of times, it's difficult to say if it was intentional. He was getting up and caught his opponent in the head. The pictures you'll see on the Pars site will probably make it seem as if he was caught with the forehead, but Dundee's footage clearly shows an arm being used. Difficult to say from the other side of the park, but Jim McIntyre certianly wasn't happy, and he had a far better view than I did.

Quite the opposite IMO. Our strikers couldn't score in a brothel.

The reason I ask is because i think the player overreacted just a tad....

We hit the woodwork more than twice. Being down to ten men doesn't make it an excuse to be totally outplayed in terms of passing, chances, shots, etc. If Dunfermline were playing a team who can score goals today, it would have been a hiding.

He was being sarcastic, but I agree with you - our strikers were awful.

Really?
Why dont you go explain them then

On another day this game could've finished 3 or 4-0. Despite not taking the chances, a very encouraging performance, particularly in midfield. McHale and Pozniak were excellent, and Cameron looked in decent shape when he came on.

Well I can only remember two - the one in teh middle of the 5 shot series in the first half, and the one off Gallacher's left post in the secon half, from the shot across goal.

As for the bit about 10 men being no excuse - come on. After going a man down, it was always going to the case that we would play for a draw, however we might do that. We got a draw. You have to remember that part of the reason that you didn't score goals today was because our goalkeeper made some decent if comfortable saves, and our outfield players defended well together. It isn't just about one team. It was never going to be 6-0 - had you scored one, the game would have changed and we'd have had to attack more. As it was, the scoreline suited us and didn't suit you, so obviously you were going to be the team doing the majority of the attacking. Surely you've seen enough football to know that the current scoreline greatly affects how the game gets played.

As it was, you were unable to beat 10 men. Not our problem.

We hit the woodwork three times.

Sums it up very well ^^

It was my first visit to Dens today and enjoyed it....although what is with that wee scruffy.scaffy looking thing to the left of the stand we (Dunfermline fans) were sitting has got to be the most stupidest stand in the league...that or the stand opposite.

Which isn't always as easy as it seems. Like I say, if our strikers could score, it would have been a big scoreline today. Ofcourse, had we scored, the game would have panned out differently, and Dunfermline may have tried putting us under a bit of pressure, but that may have made it easier for us. We were playing against a team with 10 players behind the ball (which can be expected) and we still managed to create so many clear-cut chances.

The Derry!

Muggy what can I say Best performance of the season so far let down by our awful strikers (we've been here before) Curier those 2 headers if I'm being kind to him they were sitters.

Red card incident looked like a headbutt from where I was standing but I've since been told it was an elbow, definite red card from my position either way. It was funny to hear the Dunfermline fans booing Gilhaney for this I thought. It was Eddie Malone that was on the receiving end of this attrocious assault.

That's the point I was making! It's not as easy as it seems because the opposition make it so by defending together as a team. Had you scored and we'd attacked more it might have made it easier for you, but then again we might have pressed hard and got an equaliser. Nobody knows. You can only play to the situation you're in, something that we did OK today.

As for clear-cut chances, I'm not joking when I say you didn't have all that many. By clear cut chances, I mean chances where the player should reasonably be expected to score. Other than Curier's two headers past the posts, I can't remember much where I thought you really should have scored.

I'm not really sure there's much to argue over though. Dundee played some quite nice football, while the Pars defended fairly well in a difficult situation to get the point. An exciting game overall, as most games are when we go up there, for one reason or another.

What about the one when Davidson was pushed over and Gallacher's spill from a free kick we should have scored in those 2 situations aswell. Fact remains we failed to beat 10 men, not your problem.

I am happy with the performance today, we played well and created so many chances, pity we didn't take any of them. Dundee dominated the game throughout the ninety minutes and on another day we could have been looking at a four or five nil victory. I thought we should have had a penalty and after the sending off the referee was too kind to Dunfermline.

On the sending off, although I just caught it, I think it was a sending off and that Malone sort of held him back too but handled the situation better than their man, who was very stupid to react in such a way. This league will go down to the wire and there will be about five teams challenging, it is going to be a very, very tight league.

We deserved to win (easily) but sometimes things don't go your way and today was one of those days, looking forward to the Livingston game next week.

The best I have seen our team this season. We played very well but failed to put the ball in the net.

I was well impressed by Craig McKeown. Handled everything brilliantly and I think Williams and Jim Mc will struggle to get a game for the rest of the season if Craig keeps up performances like that. Pozinak again improves with a good performance, with O'Brien also having a good one as well.

As for Gilhaney, I have yet to see him have a good game. He is so predictable, goes the same way everytime then loses the ball. Finally, Mr Curier, Had a absolute shocker today. Should be dropped for next week. Enough said.

As for AR tactics, I think he should have had Mcmenamin on alot sooner than he did. At home, playing against 10 men, 0-0 with 20 mins left, he should have got him on the pitch then. You never know, having another striker on for one of those goalmouth scrambles could have produced a goal.

A win today would have put us back on top of the league with the other results going our way, however, I am happy enough to see us playing alot better than previous weeks against a potential promotion contender.

Who is Jim Mc?

As for criticising Rae, why? We were creating plenty of chances there was no need to change our shape before he did. Only thing he did wrong was leaving Curier on the pitch.

It's nice to see people actually sit up and take notice that Curier is very average. He was made out to be a messiah on some fronts.

Jim Lauchlan LDO.

I'd like to say I disagree with his criticism of Rae's substitutions but it's his key weakness IMO. McMenanmin should have been on circa 55-60 meenits, not later.

Solid performance overally, we've FINALLY showed serious class. Just need the strikers to turn it on on the goal scoring front. Davidson had a different game from a McMenamin or Curier, he MAKES chances for himself and others. Definitely start him again next week.

We stopped the long balls when we realised we don't need to play it long to get past teams. We opened Dunfy up at the back for the last 30 and just didn't get it there.

Credit to Dunfermilne for playing negative football and stopping us from scoring, thus doing theirs.

I don't see what it would have done.

Aside from giving us another creative option upfront instead of a defender we didn't need?

Great to see the former SPL cheats of Dundee and Dunfermline struggling in the First Division.

Its what you deserve.

aye because you lot are flying in the SPL

Putting another striker on would have led to us pumping it up the park, like I say there was no need to change shape and taking a defender off wasn't an option as Dunfermline were still playing 2 up front. I guess you must have missed this Mr Tactical Genius.

Indeed we are. After years of suffering First Division shite I'm loving the SPL. Its the only place to be.

Shut up you ugly man.

Yes, because you clearly need 4 (four) defenders for 2 strikers who only got the ball very ocassionally and were having a disaster.

Plain Logical Thinking DSC.

3 v 2 will cause you problems surely you realise that?

Why would we want to risk losing a game that we ought to have won by a few goals? That would be crazy, and the type of decision that would render a manager unemployed. Rae did everything right today, IMO. On another day, everyone would be praising his tactics. Our strikers let us down today, particularly Antoine-Curier.

BBC website quite accurately sums the game up. (*Pig flies past window*)

BBC Sport Scotland

Would have taken a draw before the game but didn't see it panning out like it did. TBH, we were pretty poor in the 1st half and actually played a bit better when we went down to 10 men! Dundee played well and totally dominated but lacked the finishing touch.

I was delighted the way the players dug in when we went down to 10 men. As for the red card, I didn't see it as I was following the ball but if he raised his hands then he deserved to go. Apart from that decision, I thought the referee was terrible for both sides and struggled to keep up with play at times and got so many basic decisions wrong.

another 2 points dropped and at home as well.Very careless

"Another"?

How many points do you get for that then ?

Sorted.Although I,m sure you knew what I meant but hey I,ve corrected it anyway

Told you he'd be shite ! Oh well, Looks like another season in the 1st division for Dundee

Going by your route of predictions, we'll be playing you guys next season then.

Was gilhanney any good for hamilton cause he sure is shit for us

He could be good but as with most wingers he's a bit hit or miss. On his day a fantastic player. He usually plays well against Clyde as they hate him with passion.

so do i

Either way your still a twat, get your own house in order first farmer boy.