The Championship title will be decided in a final day showdown at Queen’s Park after Dundee were held to a hugely-frustrating draw at home to Cove Rangers.
The Dark Blues had the opportunity to take a four-point lead at the top of the table ahead of the Spiders’ clash at Morton tomorrow.
However, they could find no way past a stubborn Cove side with Lee Ashcroft’s stoppage-time header coming closest to breaking the deadlock as it came back off the upright.
That was after 90 minutes of huge frustration for the Dark Blues with their opponents taking every opportunity to slow the game down.
Chances were few and very far between. An early opportunity promised better things to come as Alex Jakubiak burst into space and fired a low ball across goal but Zach Robinson on the stretch couldn’t turn it goalwards.
But neither goalkeeper was worked in a drab opening 45 and Cove Rangers were happy to keep the game as niggly as they possibly could.
The second period followed the same path – Dundee with plenty of the ball and non-stop pressure on the Cove defence but no goal.
Robinson went close on the hour mark after a storming run from Josh Mulligan created the opportunity but the on-loan frontman fired over.
But still the away defence stood up to everything Dundee threw at them.
Even in stoppage time with corners and crosses coming in, Lyall Cameron shots being saved and Ashcroft hitting the post the ball still would not go in.
Ashcroft’s header was so close and Ryan Sweeney fired the rebound over the bar to herald boos at full-time from the 6,761-strong home crowd.
Same again, same result
Manager Gary Bowyer didn’t just pick the same starting XI for the third match in a row.
Instead he picked the exact same matchday squad for the third game running, same XI, same bench.
And brought the same result – a third draw in a row.
The previous clash between these sides at Dens Park saw the first look at Zach Robinson and Alex Jakubiak together as a strike pairing.
On the ball those two were looking sharp in the first half but without managing to unlock the packed Cove defence.
Off the ball, Bowyer was not happy with his two strikers. ‘Move, you two’ was clearly heard yelled from the dugout.
It took until 70 minutes into the contest before the Dens boss looked to his bench, throwing on Kwame Thomas and Paul McMullan for Jakubiak and Luke Hannant.
Ryan Clampin and Ben Williamson were next to inject something different into the mix.
But nothing would break the deadlock.
Patience
The Cove Rangers gameplan was clearly to be as irritating as humanly possible.
Time-wasting at every opportunity, Scott Fox was spoken to by referee Greg Aitken after just 20 minutes of the game after again taking his time with a goal kick.
The dark arts were on full display from the relegation-threatened side.
Pre-match boss Bowyer spoke of the need for patience in the stands and he got that.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Dens Park without a few shouts of frustration at a misplaced pass or poor touch in a goal-less first half.
But second period the crowd realised their side needed them and the noise level increased.
They just didn’t get that goal they craved to bring the roof off the place.
Queen’s Park
All eyes now switch to Cappielow tomorrow afternoon.
After their own stuttering form, Queen’s Park are no doubt surprised to have the chance to take back top spot going into the final game.
Two points now separate the sides, meaning Owen Coyle’s side could be going into that Ochilview clash next Friday with a one-point advantage.
Twists and turns, but no one seems to want to win this league.
Another opportunity spurned by Dundee.
Conversation