Dundee’s dreadful start to the season continued with this defeat at Dens to Motherwell, a result which leaves the Dark Blues still without a point to their name after four matches.
The home side struggled to break down the rugged Steelmen throughout while conceding poor goals and once again the fans made their feelings known at the final whistle with a chorus of boos.
The international break will now give Dundee some respite before they face a daunting trip to play Rangers at Ibrox in two weeks’ time.
It was a much-changed Dundee line-up from the one that lost at St Johnstone last week with Nathan Ralph and Glen Kamara missing out through injury along with Jean Mendy and Steven Caulker who left the club on Friday.
Dark Blues boss Neil McCann drafted in Cammy Kerr, Genseric Kusunga, Lewis Spence and new signing, former Scotland and Rangers striker Kenny Miller.
The Steelmen had the better of the first half with chances for Andrew Rose and Curtis Main who both went close with headers.
The latter had another good opportunity when Kusunga played centre-half partner Josh Meekings into trouble with Main pouncing but he dragged his low shot from 20 yards just wide.
There was plenty of honest endeavour from the home side but they failed to carve out a meaningful opportunity in the first 45 with McCann having to make a substitution on the stroke of half-time with skipper Josh Meekings coming off injured to be replaced by deadline day loan signing, Crystal Palace defender Ryan Inniss.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 56th minute. Kusunga went to deal with a cross into the Dundee box but the centre-half slipped with the ball falling perfectly for Motherwell’s Danny Johnson who needed no second invitation to gleefully shoot past the helpless home keeper Jack Hamilton.
The goalie was beaten once more in the 68th minute when Dundee sub Calvin Miller conceded a foul 22 yards out with Gael Bigirimana sending the free-kick into the corner of Hamilton’s net.
However, the Dark Blues then pulled one back just three minutes later when the replacement sent a corner in from the left with Ben Kallman directing a header past Motherwell keeper Trevor Carson.
Miller then twice created chances in quick succession for Paul McGowan whose shot was blocked by Carson with his legs and then the keeper saved another Kallman header.
Motherwell then sealed all three points when a Conor Sammon shot broke to Allan Campbell and he drilled the ball past the exposed Hamilton.
