James McPake says “criminal” defending from his Dundee side cost them two points as Raith Rovers grabbed a late equaliser on Saturday.
The Dark Blues looked all set to make it two Championship wins on the spin at Dens Park after a 1-0 success against Morton the week before.
However, Frankie Musonda popped up to bundle the ball home from a corner with four minutes remaining to level up Charlie Adam’s first-half strike.
Dundee boss McPake said: “I’m devastated to not get all three points.
“I didn’t feel we needed the second goal, we didn’t need that last week but you have to do your jobs properly from set-plays.
“Set-plays are massive in football at every level.
“To concede such a poor goal from a set-play after getting a warning from Musonda before is criminal. At any level of football.”
Adam fired in a superb goal in the first half before limping off with a slight hamstring problem with 14 minutes remaining.
Asked whether losing Adam was pivotal in the match swinging towards the visitors, McPake replied: “I thought Charlie was excellent. A great goal and some really good stuff in the game. But he tired and his hamstring tightened up.
“They came into the game and are a good side going forward but I still felt comfortable enough in the game in open play but if you don’t defend a corner it’s criminal.”
The Dark Blues boss also felt his side should have had a penalty in the second period when the ball struck the arm of Iain Davidson as Jonathan Afolabi tried to knock the ball on.
Referee Alan Newlands was unmoved, however.
McPake: “It was a stone-waller. It’s not an excuse, though. We couldn’t defend a set-play and that’s why we couldn’t get all three points from the game.
“I’m expected to do my job, which I didn’t because we didn’t win, my players didn’t do their jobs properly to defend the set-play and the referee didn’t do his properly either.”
I think we thoroughly deserved the point at the end of the day.
Meanwhile, Raith Rovers assistant Paul Smith was delighted to see his side keep up their unbeaten start to life in the Championship.
The Kirkcaldy side had beaten Arbroath and Queen of the South in the lead-up to this one and made it seven points from nine to kick off the campaign.
Smith said: “I was disappointed with the way we played in the first half, we didn’t play our usual passing game.
“Credit to Dundee, they made it very difficult for us. We changed to a diamond in the second half and I thought we got control of the game.
“I think we thoroughly deserved the point at the end of the day.
“We’re delighted to come up to Dens and come away with a point. To stay unbeaten in the league is fantastic for us.”