Dundee edged a step closer to safety with a win over Ross County on Sunday, but the afternoon was overshadowed by an injury to Staggies defender Darren McCormack.
A first-half penalty from Matt Lockwood and a late strike by Gary Harkins gave Barry Smith’s side the win, but the day was marred by McCormack’s injury, which came just three minutes after he came on as a half-time substitute.
McCormack had tried to clear a ball up the line, but he was caught by Craig Forsyth. He was then stretchered off and taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg.
Both sides largely cancelled each other out in midfield throughout the opening stages, until Dundee took the lead in the 28th minute.
Some doggedness by Harkins allowed the Dark Blues to turn defence into attack, when he won the ball on the edge of his own box before hitting a pass to Sean Higgins, who repaid the favour by finding Leigh Griffiths.
Griffiths’ initial pass was poor, but when Dundee got another chance they managed to penetrate the County defence, with Forsyth flicking the ball into the path of Higgins.
Referee Frank McDermott then spotted an infringement as Johnny Flynn caught the Dundee man late, and wasted no time in pointing to the penalty spot.UnstoppableLockwood, who has been the embodiment of cool for Dundee in recent weeks, blasted an unstoppable shot high into the right-hand corner of Michael McGovern’s goal.
Dundee continued pressing for another, and should have made more of an opening on 36 minutes when a Forsyth cross zipped through the six-yard box without meeting another blue shirt.
The home team almost doubled their advantage on 42 minutes when Harkins flicked a ball over for Griffiths to chase and although he beat his marker and got a touch on the ball before McGovern, the keeper managed to block it.
County replaced Gary Miller with McCormack at the interval, but he lasted only a few minutes before being injured by Forsyth while he was attempting to clear the ball.
He was stretchered off and replaced by Stuart Kettlewell.
County should have levelled on 62 minutes, but they spurned the opportunity when a cross from Michael Gardyne fell perfectly for Andy Barrowman, who nodded wide from six yards. The Staggies players were clearly upset at Forsyth for his role in McCormack’s injury, and Kettlewell, who had only been on the park a matter of minutes, tried to dish out retribution of his own.
He flew into a challenge on the Dundee man right on the touchline and appeared to stamp on him as he got up.
This sparked chaos, with almost all of the 22 players clashing with each other. The referee and his assistants did their best to calm things down, while Dundee’s Rhys Weston was restrained by a member of the club’s coaching staff, who had rushed on to the park to grab the Welshman.
When the dust finally settled, yellow cards were dished out to Kettlewell, Stephen O’Donnell, Martin Scott, Paul Lawson and Weston.
Dundee wrapped up the points with seven minutes remaining, when Harkins got on the end of a Higgins ball into the box before beating McGovern from eight yards.MiserableKettlewell’s miserable part in the contest was made worse in the dying seconds when he was handed a second yellow for a late challenge on Lockwood.
County’s officials were furious with manager Willie McStay and director of football, George Adams, both remonstrating with the referee in his room before finally making their way to the team bus.
Later, Staggies goalkeeper Michael McGovern revealed he and his team-mates are all praying for McCormack’s speedy recovery.
He said, “I’d like to think there was no malice in it (Forsyth’s challenge).
“I didn’t get the best of views, but it looked like they both went for the same ball and Darren came off worse.”
He continued, “We have been told he is away to the hospital and we are just hoping everything will be okay.
“The lads are just keeping our fingers crossed for him.
“Hopefully it will turn out to be not as serious as they think and he’ll be back playing before too long.
“The game got a bit bad tempered after that because I think emotions were running high because of what happened.
“That happens sometimes, and the whole game was overshadowed by Darren’s injury.”
Dundee are now 10 games unbeaten and steadily reeling in second-bottom Stirling.
Speaking after the game, Dundee’s boss Smith said, “That’s another three points on the board-as far as we are concerned we’re still bottom of the league trying to reel in the clubs above us and this takes us a wee step closer.”
Attendance 4725