4 talking points as Dundee’s purgatory continues with defeat at Aberdeen

Dundee’s purgatory goes on as they slip ever nearer to the drop.

Another game, another defeat, another step closer to the Championship.

The Dark Blues have now played 900 minutes of Premiership football without tasting victory.

That’s after falling to a 1-0 reverse at Aberdeen on Saturday.

This match was Dundee’s season in microcosm – spells of good play, chances passed up and a soft goal conceded meaning the points stay at Pittodrie.

But what more can we take from the game?

Chances

Conceding goals has been Dundee’s main issue all season. But they haven’t scored nearly enough either.

The problem at Aberdeen wasn’t creating chances, it wasn’t finding the target, but rather finding a way past an impressive performance from Joe Lewis.

Danny Mullen, Paul McGowan and Paul McMullan all found the veteran goalie in their way. When Ryan Sweeney did beat the keeper, Calvin Ramsay was there to head off the line.

Lewis Ferguson's second-half penalty earned Aberdeen a vital 1-0 win over rock-bottom Dundee 🙏 pic.twitter.com/fpcfMFMBCJ

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 30, 2022

Not taking any of these opportunities saw the Dark Blues depart defeated.

In the opening half-hour, this game was there for the taking. The home crowd were distinctly unhappy, particularly when Dundee’s good pressing forced mistakes at the back.

Similar to the St Johnstone match the week previous, a positive start faded into a tired second half.

This time there was no goal to show for the good stuff early on.

Harry Sharp

The young Dundee goalkeeper was the one real positive to come out of the game.

Once more parachuted in at the last minute as Ian Lawlor called off sick on the morning of the game.

Once more he did his future prospects no harm at all with an impressive performance between the sticks.

The standout moment saw him deny Aberdeen’s star striker Christian Ramirez with the score at 0-0, getting down low to save with a goal looking certain.

The 21-year-old a deserved clean sheet but he had no chance with Lewis Ferguson’s spot-kick winner.

Manager Mark McGhee has backed Lawlor to be his No 1 for the rest of the campaign.

Sharp’s display at Pittodrie – and earlier this season – must make him consider that, however.

Charlie Adam

Dundee skipper Charlie Adam once more became a focal point in this game.

Often it’s for the positive effect he has on the side, last week it was for an undignified dive in his own half.

This time, it’s for a negative reaction to a substitution on 52 minutes, throwing his arms in the air and angrily taking a place in the dugout.

After being kept on against St Johnstone beyond 90 minutes despite obvious fatigue because of his importance to the team and the need to win, the reaction to an early replacement is perhaps understandable.

More surprising was manager McGhee’s reluctance, spreading to anger, when asked about that moment post-match.

It was an odd change, though getting fresh legs on in the middle of the park as Aberdeen began to dominate was a sound move.

In taking off the team’s talisman and leader, however, the team was left shorter of quality and drive when it was required more than ever.

Mark McGhee

Eleven matches. No wins.