Everything that could go wrong for Dundee has gone wrong this season.
Sadly, that terrible trend continued in rain-lashed Lanarkshire.
The latest tale of woe saw them go into injury-time with a draw seemingly in the bag against 10-man Motherwell only to concede in the fifth minute of stoppage-time to lose 4-3. It was their ninth straight defeat.
Manager Jim McIntyre came out and backed his basement boys following a dire defeat to St Johnstone and they did put up a fight at Fir Park.
However, the roof fell in when David Turnbull lashed in the last-gasp winner and now relegation looms large.
To make matters worse, second-bottom St Mirren saved a point with a late goal at home to St Johnstone, while Hamilton did the same against Livingston.
With just three games to go they are seven points behind the Buddies and nine adrift of Accies. It is all over bar the shouting.
It was Dundee who took the lead through Martin Woods’ penalty. That lasted just a minute, though, as a deflected shot from Turnbull brought the hosts level.
The visitors made it 2-1 with a classy counter from Ethan Robson but that advantage was also short-lived – to minutes to be precise – as James Scott levelled things up.
The goals kept coming in the second half, with the home team going 3-2 up through Gboly Ariyibi before Nathan Ralph got Dundee’s third.
Well then went down to 10 men when Alex Rodriguez was sent packing but it was the hosts who finished stronger and Turnbull was their hero.
The Dark Blues made four changes to the line-up that started at McDiarmid Park last weekend.
In came captain Woods, Genseric Kusunga, Jesse Curran and Andrew Nelson. Darren O’Dea, John O’Sullivan, Paul McGowan and Kenny Miller all dropped down to the bench.
The game kicked off after a heavy downpour that left the pitch well watered.
The visitors made a decent start and on nine minutes Jesse Curran’s shot that was saved by keeper Mark Gillespie.
Just two minutes later, the Dark Blues took a dramatic lead from the penalty spot.
Full-back Cammy Kerr was taken down by Ariyibi and referee Kevin Clancy made up his mind pretty quickly. Woods stepped up to place the ball past Gillespie.
However, just a minute or so later they were struck by a cruel blow when Well levelled.
It was a wicked deflection that did in the Dark Blues, with Turnbull shot hitting Scott Wright’s leg and looping up and past goalie Seny Dieng.
Turnbull would have made it 2-1 to the hosts with a point-lank header on 15 minutes but for a fine save from Dieng.
Instead, it was the Dens men, finally showing that character, who regained the lead on 22 minutes.
After appearing at risk of losing the ball just outside the box, Robson took control and a touch then slammed a super strike into the far corner of the Steelmen’s net.
However, once again they chucked it away.
Instead of the one minute between the first and second goals, there were a whole two minute between third and fourth.
Scott was the scorer of the scrappy affair, digging a shot down into the grass and somehow through Dieng at his near post.
On the half-hour Jesse Curran came close for the Dens men with a volley that just cleared the crossbar
Well then had a great chance to score when a corner fell at the feet of defender Tom Aldred but he blasted over from a great position.
In the final minute of the half, a great run from Dundee’s Wright ended with the on-loan Aberdeen man shooting just over.
On 47 minutes, the Dark Blues struck the woodwork when Jesse Curran’s low strike was deflected on to the post by the leg of keeper Gillespie.
However, it was the home players who were celebrating making it 3-2 when they took the lead for the first time on 50 minutes.
It was a deserved goal for Ariyibi, who had been causing the Dundee defence problems all game.
Remarkably, though, the Dark Blues equalised just two minutes later thanks to Ralph’s header off Woods’ corner from the left.
The visitors found themselves playing against 10 men on 57 minutes when Motherwell’s Rodriguez, who had already been booked for a foul on Woods midway through the first half, was shown a second yellow card then a red for a lunge on Craig Curran.
The woodwork saved the Steelmen again on 63 minutes when Kusunga’s header from Woods’ corner crashed off the upright.
Dieng came to Dundee’s rescue on 78 minutes when he dived full length to push away a Turnbull freekick after Woods had taken down Richard Tait at the edge of the area.
There was drama six minutes from time when ref Clancy first awarded a penalty to Motherwell for handball against Kusunga then changed his mind after consulting standside assistant Jordon Stokoe. Once the dust cleared, it was a goalkick to Dundee.
There was still time for Turnbull to turn the screw, lashing home his shot after the ball had rebounded back off Dundee’s bar.
