Dundee left it late. They left it very left, in fact, but supersub Kwame Thomas may just have done enough to rescue their title dream.
Seemingly down and out at 3-1 down thanks to a Robbie Muirhead double and a Darragh O’Connor effort, Dark Blues launched a rescue mission.
Luke Hannant had drawn them level before two late efforts from Thomas earned them a 3-3 draw and kept them ahead of Queen’s Park.
Just a point separates the sides but, crucially, if it goes to a final day meeting like this then Queen’s will have to win to clinch the silverware.
Dundee v Morton: Key moments
TEAM LINES | Today’s team #thedee pic.twitter.com/LCbvCjyM1C
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) April 15, 2023
Games between these two tend to be tight affairs with two 0-0 draws and a 1-0 win for Morton in February.
In fact, Dark Blues hadn’t beaten Morton in six attempts prior to Saturday.
Dundee started on the front-foot and carved Morton open in seven minutes.
Luke McCowan and Lyall Cameron combined to send in Josh Mulligan but his 18-yard effort was high and wide.
Moments later, Lee Ashcroft was much closer with a volley that flashed inches wide of Brian Schwake’s right post.
But it was the visitors who struck first in 18 minutes as O’Connor’s stunning overhead kick looped over Adam Legzdins.
O’Connor almost doubled his tally on 31 minutes as he met a Robbie Crawford only to flash his header wide.
But Dundee levelled from their next attack as Hannant met Zach Robinson’s cross to head.
And Mulligan came close to putting the hosts ahead as he fizzed a 20-yard strike wide after Alex Jakubiak’s lay-off.
With that referee Chris Graham blew for half-time, leaving Dundee with work to do to restore their advantage at the top.
McCowan passed up a great chance to put Dark Blues ahead on 55 minutes as, unmarked, he flashed a header wide from six yards.
With the game on a knife-edge, tempers were becoming frayed and Dundee assistant Billy Barr was booked.
The Greenock side regained the lead on 62 minutes with a stunning 30-yard free-kick by Muirhead.
And Muirhead’s diving header from a Calvin Miller cross put Ton 3-1 up.
But sub Thomas then gave the hosts renewed hope as he bulleted in a header from Hannant’s free-kick.
He then fired in a injury-time effort to tie it up at 3-3.
Dundee player ratings
Dundee: Legzdins 6, Marshall 6, Sweeney 6, Ashcroft 6, Mulligan 6, Cameron 6, Jakubiak 5 (Thomas 7) , Maguire 6 (Williamson 2), Robinson 6, McCowan 5 (McMullan 4), Hannant 6 (Reedy 2). Subs: Lawlor, Kerr, Byrne, Fisher, Clampin.
Dundee star man
It was far from vintage Dundee but Luke Hannant was at the heart of everything created by the home side.
Manager under the microscope
Gary Bowyer has remained calm under pressure in the Championship title race.
He has refused to get too up or down week-to-week, claiming after the draw with Arbroath last week that he hadn’t even checked the table.
But he went into this one knowing his side needed to respond to a Queen’s Park win over Hamilton and restore their three-point lead at the top.
Bowyer made just one change from the side that beat Raith Rovers in midweek with Barry Maguire in for the injured Jordan McGhee.
Dundee’s two-pronged attack of Robinson and Jakubiak was again favoured by Bowyer but they struggled to link-up in the opening period.
The introduction of Thomas, however, added renewed vigour to the attack.
And it proved to be an ace card as it rescued the game.
What does this mean for the title race?
Dundee are making life hard for themselves but are doing just enough to stagger towards the finish line.
The determination to rescue this game was epitomised by the way Kwame Thomas celebrated his efforts.
They are a point ahead with just three games left and it still looks like their final day meeting with Queen’s Park on May 5th will be crucial.
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