Dundee 2 - 1 Forfar Athletic: Blues win late

Scorers: Dundee - McAlister 51, MacDonald 120; Forfar Athletic - I Campbell 43 pen

Referee: B Cook

MacDonald saw John Brown’s side into the next round of the League Cup thanks to his dramatic free-kick winner with almost the last kick of the ball.

Forfar took the lead just before the break through Iain Campbell’s penalty before Jim McAlister levelled in 51 minutes.

Both sides finished with ten men as Kevin McBride was sent-off for the hosts in 67 minutes and was followed by Forfar defender Stuart Malcolm in extra-time.

But just as penalties beckoned, MacDonald produced a stunning strike to leave the visitors with no way back into the tie after seven days earlier putting them to the sword in the Ramsdens Cup.

It was all Dundee early on. Gavin Rae picked up possession just outside the Forfar penalty area and quickly slipped the  ball wide to Carlo Monti. The former Celtic starlet thought about shooting before rolling a pass into the path of Ryan  Conroy, whose left-foot shot from ten yards was saved by Darren Hill.

But in 43 minutes Forfar took the lead. Dundee defender Declan Gallagher climbed on Stuart Malcolm inside the box as they contested Iain Campbell’s Corner. Referee Barry Cook pointed straight to the spot and up stepped Campbell to beat home keeper Kyle Letheren with a textbook penalty low into the corner.

Dundee came out fired up after the break and equalised in 51 minutes. Willie Dyer’s through ball released McAlister and he picked his spot with a low 16-yard effort.

In 67 minutes, though, McBride was sent-off for diving as he attempted to win a free-kick after being booked just before half-time.

Campbell cleared off the line as Rae connected with McAlister’s cross late on before Malcolm was sent-off for his second yellow-card for a foul on MacDonald right at the end of the first-half of extra-time.

But MacDonald spared Dundee the agony of facing a penalty shoot-out with his dramatic late winning goal after being fouled by Gary Fusco.

Dundee: Lethern, Irvine, Lockwood, Dyer, McBride, MacDonald, Rae, Conroy, Monti (Boyle 75) Gallagher, McAlister.

Forfar: Hill, Baxter, Campbell, Malcolm, Dods, Fusco, Kader, Malin (Dale 98) Templeman (R Campbell 98) Swankie, Hilson (McManus 86).