Dundee failed to recover from a nightmare start to draw a blank against Greenock Morton for the third time this season.
The Dark Blues couldn’t capitalise on Queen’s Park drawing at home to Raith Rovers and slipped two points off the title pace.
A fourth goal in eight games from defender Jack Baird allowed Ton to close to within five points of Gary Bowyer’s men in the play-off pecking order.
It halted an unbeaten Championship run at four matches and proved another fruitless trip down to Greenock.
Dundee’s last win at Cappielow remains a 2-1 success in December 2013.
Alex Jakubiak in for Luke McCowan was the only switch made from last Sunday’s 3-0 success over Cove Rangers.
An unwelcome change was then required in a fraught opening period as Dundee not only fell behind but lost Kwame Thomas to a head knock.
Robbie Crawford’s deep corner was hooked back into the heart of the area by Carlo Pignatiello.
Baird’s commanding leap above Thomas and looping header did considerable damage.
Thomas spent five minutes being attended to by medical staff after appearing to hurt himself when crashing to the turf. The striker was stretchered off and replaced by Josh Mulligan.
The reshuffle saw Jakubiak moved up top and Mulligan installed wide left but there was no respite while the visitors tried to adjust.
Adam Legzdins produced an excellent save to push away a left-footed drive from Cameron Blues.
From the corner, Jakubiak then Mulligan made last-gasp stops on the goal line to prevent the home team from doubling their advantage.
No wonder Bowyer implored his panicked men to settle down.
Yet Dundee began to warm to the ferocious first half pace.
A trademark Cammy Kerr run and cutback was forced goalwards by Lyall Cameron before a Calum Waters intervention sent the ball spinning narrowly over.
On 26 minutes, Brian Schwake was drawn into his first save to bat away from Jakubiak.
Six minutes before the interval, Dundee passed up their best chance to level.
Mulligan cut inside and tested Schwake from 20 yards. The keeper could only parry and in darted Cameron alive to the rebound possibilities.
However, the ball cannoned off Cameron as he sped in and it bounded wide as he couldn’t adjust in time to offer a more meaningful second attempt.
‘Disappointingly bossed’
In a bid to find a killer touch, Boywer tried to repeat his half-time trick from last weekend by bringing Zach Robinson off the bench.
Ben Williamson was also introduced but before any impact could be felt, Morton almost struck again.
Jai Quitongo’s deflected effort from a corner came off the underside of the crossbar and dropped to Darragh O’Connor.
You know when a keeper celebrates a save that it’s a good one so Legzdins clearly felt he’d pulled out all the stops to deny the defender from six yards.
Dundee were disappointingly bossed throughout in their efforts to defend set plays.
They did look likely to profit on the break. Mulligan sprinted clear down the right and fired near post, only for Schwake to impressively turn away for a corner.
Bowyer brought on a sixth substitute, Lorent Tolaj, permitted because of the concussion suffered by Thomas.
For all the fresh legs, it was another failure to score against Dougie Irmie’s side. After two stalemates earlier in the season, this was a sore defeat.
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