Dundee 2 - 1 Clyde

Published on Saturday 31 January 2009 18:46

McMenamin 39; Antoine-Curier 42 McLaren 12

THIS was not an encounter which will go down in Dundee folklore but it could be a crucial three points in their quest to re-enter the promotion race. The Dark Blues still harbour hopes of catching St Johnstone, the Division One leaders, and moved to within seven points of them with this win over Clyde.

The visitors had the better of the first half and took the lead through Willie McLaren, but Dundee, who have found goals virtually impossible to come by this season, stunned the Bully Wee with strikes from Colin McMenamin and Mickael Antoine-Curier.

Rab Douglas, Dundee's goalkeeper, signed a new two-year deal with the club on Friday and showed his worth within two minutes by clawing away a McLaren shot which looked destined for the bottom left-hand corner. McLaren was not to be denied, though, as he scored the opener on 12 minutes. Dundee's Eric Paton, tried to knock the ball across his own 18-yard line, giving McLaren the opportunity to chip a shot over Douglas from the edge of the area.

Dundee had offered virtually nothing in an attacking sense but equalised with their first moment of real quality. Mark Gilhaney, recalled to the team for the first time since October, sent in a delightful ball for McMenamin, who flicked a header beyond David Hutton.

Amazingly, Dundee turned the game on its head three minutes later as Antoine-Curier burst through on goal before lashing the ball into the bottom corner.