No damage in draw at Dens

Published on Sunday 15 November 2009 23:04

WITH the lead at the top of the table at stake, both managers pledging to attack, nearly 5,000 fans in attendance and neither side having played in a goalless draw this season, the scene was set for the biggest game of the day in Scotland to deliver fantastic entertainment.

However, at Dens Park on Saturday, it all went off rather tamely as Dundee and Queen of the South cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw.

Colin Cameron fired in a couple of long-range efforts to try and lift the game to no avail and neither goalkeeper was troubled until just before half time, when a Colin Forsyth corner struck a post, although this was more through good fortune as opposed to a deliberate act.

Willie McLaren had the visitors' best chance of the afternoon, only to fire in a tame shot from 15 yards and the second- half petered out to leave both sides locked together on points, with the Dumfries men still leading courtesy of a goal difference better off by six.

"We should be winning any home game with the amount of possession that we had, but thankfully no harm has been done to our league position," commented Dundee coach Jocky Scott.

Visiting manager Gordon Chisholm said: "We had planned to attack and set out to win the game but Dundee had so much of the ball that it did not turn out like that. I am happy with a point as a lot of teams will leave here with nothing this season."

Ross County could have joined the Dark Blues and the Doonhamers at the summit on 27 points. However, they were held to a 1-1 draw at Ayr United, who move off bottom spot as a result.

County went ahead just before half-time when defender Scott Boyd headed in a Richard Brittain corner and they looked even more on course for the three points when the home side's Ryan Stevenson was shown a straight red for a challenge on Alex Keddie.

Stevenson's dismissal seemed to galvanise an Ayr side that included former St Mirren and Dunfermline striker Junior Mendes for the first time, and they drew level when Mark Roberts converted a penalty with eight minutes to go after Keddie had toppled home sub Alastair Woodburn. County boss Derek Adams said: "Not being at the top does not bother me, it is all about gathering more points than we did last season and not being involved in the drop zone."

The chasing pack of four clubs have all bunched up to within a point of each other following Dunfermline's 3-1 win over Partick Thistle, Inverness seeing off Airdrie United 2-0 and Raith Rovers' spectacular 5-0 defeat at Morton. The Pars are the form team with their win over the Glasgow side being their fourth in an unbeaten spell of seven games with winger Willie Gibson being the spearhead for their latest triumph with two goals.

Former Airdrie midfielder Steven McDougall opened the scoring when he forced the ball home after only four minutes with Gibson doubling the lead before half-time with a fine strike from almost 30 yards out. Paul Cairney got Partick back into things when he shot home just after the interval and with Thistle pushing for a leveller Gibson fired in a decisive goal in injury time.

"Results breed confidence and we have achieved some results where we have played some great stuff and others where we have ground out wins," beamed East End Park manager Jim McIntyre.

Inverness manager Terry Butcher was delighted that his side won for the third time in four games, especially when substitute Eric Odhiambo added to Danni Sanchez's late first-half goal to seal victory with a left-foot volley.