Dundee fell four points behind at the top of the early Championship table after Dipo Akinyemi inspired Ayr United to come from behind to win.
The Dark Blues got off to a flying start at Somerset Park as Paul McMullan laid the opening goal on a plate for Zak Rudden after just four minutes.
The lead, though, lasted just 13 minutes as in-form Akinyemi grabbed his fifth of the season, turning in a Frankie Musonda header from a Ben Dempsey corner.
Dundee came out quick again after the restart but passed up a string of chances early in the second half.
The Honest Men made them pay as Jordan Houston’s 20-yard strike made it 2-1.
And it was swiftly 3-1 as that man Akinyemi turned and hit an unstoppable strike past Harry Sharp on 67 minutes.
Things went from bad to worse in stoppage time as Dee skipper Ryan Sweeney saw red, earning a second yellow card for dissent.
So, what went wrong and where do Dundee go from here?
4-4-2
Dundee manager Gary Bowyer hinted in his pre-match press conference that he wanted to go with two strikers in the future.
It only took 45 minutes for that temptation to become too much for the Dark Blues boss.
With the score at 1-1, Zach Robinson replaced Paul McGowan and joined Rudden up front, giving a needed physical presence up top.
It was a roll of the dice that initially paid off, making a huge difference to Dundee at the start of the second half.
Before the hour mark, Ayr goalie Charlie Albinson had already been sorely tested by Robinson, Rudden and then Jordan McGhee.
But not taking those chances came back to haunt them.
In opening up the game, there was space for Ayr to counter.
And they used it to great effect as they took the game away from the visitors.
Dipo Akinyemi
The Championship’s top scorer so far this season is a proper handful.
Powerful and ready to put himself about, he latched onto Tyler French for much of the game.
Akinyemi got his fifth of the campaign with the goal that sparked his side into life.
Ayr had been second best before he bundled in from close range and from there they had the better of the opening half.
Then his second goal was a thing of beauty, holding off the Dundee defence inside the area before turning and smashing the ball past Sharp to win the game for his side.
Turn, boom! 💥
Dipo Akinyemi does it again 👏
Watch live ⤵️#BBCFootball
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) August 26, 2022
Zak Rudden
You want your striker to score goals and Rudden did that at Somerset Park, the only one in the six-yard box switched on to steal a poacher’s finish.
That’s his real strength but Dundee are wanting more from the 22-year-old.
They want goals but they also want a frontman who can hold the ball up and get the team up the park.
For much of this game, Musonda got the better of the Dark Blues frontman, nipping in to steal it off Rudden’s toe and dominating in the air.
Advantage Dundee as Zak Rudden opens the scoring from a tremendous team goal!
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) August 26, 2022
That was much to the frustration of his team-mates and the away dugout.
Give him a chance, Rudden will score, get him on the ball and running at a defence, he’ll cause problems.
But to keep his place as a lone striker long-term, the former Rangers kid needs to find his inner target man.
Made abundantly clear when Bowyer replaced him with centre-back Lee Ashcroft for the final 10 minutes when chasing an equaliser.
Work to do
Dundee were sent on the long journey home to lick their wounds after a sore night in Ayrshire.
New boss Bowyer has some work to do on the training field to get his side back on track.
But there is likely to also be work going on in the transfer market between now and the deadline next Thursday night.
It is still early but there’s a gap now at the top of the table – one that the Dark Blues can’t afford to see grow.
Not on this evidence from Ayr United.
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