| Saints hopes of making it a three horse race in the final weeks of the season all but evaporated with this defeat at Dens Park.
Sean Lynch was the only one of the three new signings to start the game, replacing the suspended Liam Craig but although he looked the part, his team mates struggled to make any impact on the home side during a first half dominated from the opening minutes and for long spells thereafter by the home side.
The only goal of the opening first 45 came five minutes before the interval when Antoine-Curier - who had earlier had a goal chalked off for offside - held off Goran Stanic after collecting a Dixon throw and sent in a shot which appeared to take a deflection on its way past Alan Main.
It took the appearance of former Chelsea man Jody Morris to fire some life into Saints and not long after nursing a sore mouth courtesy of a clash with Freddie Danquin, the Londoner marked his debut with a fine goal, diving bravely through a ruck of players to head home a Stanic cross.
The joy of the Perth support was short-lived though because Dundee took the lead again two minutes later when former Gretna man Colin McMenamin rose unchallenged to head home a Dixon free kick from the left.
Saints were not going to give up easily though and they bounced back for a second time 12 minutes from the end when Andy Jackson equalised. Goran Stanic and Steven Milne were involved in the build up but it was Peter MacDonald’s intelligent flick over the ‘Dee defence which caused the problems and Jackson produced a great finish to make it 2-2.
It looked as if Saints might get the point their second half performance merited but then for the second time at Dens this season they suffered a late, late blow. In the final minute of the four minutes of injury time McMenamin again rose to head past Main to keep the points at Dens and leave the travelling support stunned.
Website Man of the Match: Andy Jackson
Dundee: Samson, Cowan, MacKenzie, Palenik, Dixon, Daquin (O'Brien), McDonald, Robertson (Lyle), Malone, Antoine-Curier, McMenamin.
Subs Not Used: Roy, Worrell, Davidson.
Saints: Main, Irvine, Stanic, Lynch (Morris), Rutkiewicz, McManus, MacDonald (Weatherston), Jackson, Quinn (Wilson), Milne, Sheerin.
Subs Not Used: Cuthbert, Moon.
Att: 6,192
Jody Morris celebrates his goal with Paul Sheerin and Peter MacDonald |
Paul Sheerin battles for possession |
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