4 Dundee talking points as Kilmarnock defeat sparks more VAR anger and ramps up relegation concerns
The Dark Blues succumbed to a rollercoaster 3-2 loss at Rugby Park and now face a huge game at home to Ross County.
undee still have it all to do to ensure they are playing Premiership football next season after a controversial 3-2 defeat to Kilmarnock.
A rush of blood from Seb Palmer-Houlden handed the Rugby Park side the opportunity to seize the advantage with Danny Armstrong’s 31st-minute penalty.
And, then, just as the Dark Blues drew level with a well-crafted equaliser from Lyall Cameron, the curse of their defensive lapses struck once more as Bruce Anderson earned Killie the lead again.
A grandstand finish failed to pay off in the remaining five minutes of stoppage time.
Courier Sport was in Ayrshire to assess all the action.
More VAR confusion
Another match and, regrettably, another Dundee VAR dispute.
This was an entirely different situation if there had been any subjectivity involved in the choice to reject Antonio Portales’ strike against Motherwell.
Tony Docherty, the manager of the Dark Blues, claims he does not want to be the manager that constantly complains about the calls made by the referees.
He certainly has something of a reputation in that regard – but he had plenty of reason to do so again.
When Don Robertson was called to the screen by VAR official Gavin Duncan in the 66th minute to review a potential push on Simon Murray, there looked to be only one eventual outcome. That is normally how it works.
However, because the whistler was unable to watch any footage, Robertson was never able to see what had first caught Duncan’s attention.
Docherty was informed that the incident was determined to have occurred outside the box. However, after the full-time whistle, confusion persisted.
Why was Robertson brought to the monitor at all, just to be left standing uncomfortably, if the box did not contain the possible shove on Murray?
There is every reason why the Dens Park club should be given an explanation.
Defensive frailties costly again
It’s arguable if a penalty at that point in the game would have changed the result in any way.
In any case, Dundee pulled themselves level five minutes later.
Fin Robertson took advantage of Liam Donnelly’s mistake, and Seun Adewumi made a great pass through for Cameron’s supporting run. It was a great move.
However, parity only persisted for a few seconds following the restart.
The Dark Blues are failing to “control the controllables,” even though the officials’ decision-making may not be helpful.
How was Donnelly able to loft in a cross from the left? How was Bruce Anderson – hardly the tallest of strikers at 5’8’’ – the one to get his head on the end of it?
To lose a goal as easy as Killie’s third from Armstrong’s corner, even with time remaining for a leveller, was just another mistake in a campaign full of them.
The Dens Park men are still in trouble in tenth place because of the Premiership’s worst goals against column, but the stakes are high for dubious decisions from the officials.
Whether they can at last learn defensive doggedness when it’s most needed is the question.
Win or bust?
Evidently, nobody at Dundee had any intention of fighting for their spot in the top flight this season.
It was hoped that they would improve on their top-six result from the previous term.
However, Docherty’s team must confront the harsh reality of their current situation with only two games left.
They are responsible for their own destiny, thus they should look for positives.
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