Mark McGhee’s wait for a Dundee victory continued after defeat at his old club Aberdeen.
Despite a positive start from his side with Joe Lewis making a number of saves, the Dark Blues fell to a second-half Lewis Ferguson spot-kick at Pittodrie.
Stand-in goalie Harry Sharp impressed as the hosts dominated the second half but was eventually beaten from 12 yards.
That left Dundee adrift at the foot of the Premiership with no wins in 10 league matches since McGhee’s arrival and only three games left to save the season.
Busy Lewis
Sharp was a late change for the Dark Blues as Ian Lawlor missed the match through illness.
And the youngster had to be on his toes straight from the off as Ferguson went for goal from kick-off, his effort drifting just over the bar.
But it was the bottom-of-the-table Dark Blues who had the better of the opening play, creating chance after chance as they harried a nervous home defence.
Lewis in the Dons goal was a busy man as he denied Danny Mullen, Paul McGowan, Mullen once more and then Paul McMullan inside the opening half-hour.
The latter Mullen effort was a superb diving save to push an effort heading for the top corner over the crossbar.
As the half wore on the home side took control of the game but without creating much of note. Sharp keeping out a couple of long-range efforts.
Dons take charge
The Dons were much better in the second period and immediately had a penalty shout for a Cammy Kerr challenge on Jack MacKenzie turned down.
That energized the Dons and they created their first big chance of the game as Ramirez set Vicente Besuijen away down the left only to poke the finish wide.
Mark McGhee reached for the subs bench, taking off skipper Charlie Adam, much to his captain’s dismay on 52 minutes.
Moments later, Dundee almost took the lead as a Ryan Sweeney header was cleared off the line.
But it was one-way traffic for much of the second half as the Dons turned the screw.
This time it was Sharp pulling out the big saves to keep the game goal-less, denying Ramirez with a superb stop on 65 minutes.
But he couldn’t stop Ferguson’s spot-kick on 74 minutes that finally opened the scoring after Jonny Hayes was tripped in the area.
Dundee pushed for a late equaliser as Josh Mulligan headed just over and Lewis once more denied Mullen in the final few minutes.
The Dons veteran would earn his clean sheet, however, condemning the Dark Blues to a sixth defeat in 11 under McGhee.
And pushing them one step closer to relegation.
Teams
Aberdeen: Lewis, MacKenzie, Gallagher, Watkins, Ramirez (Jenks 68), Besuijen, Hayes (Montgomery 77), Ferguson, Ramsay, Bates, Barron.
Subs not used: Woods, Considine, McGeouch, Ojo, McLennan, Polvara, Ruth.
Dundee: Sharp, Kerr (Daley-Campbell 89), Sweeney, McGhee, Marshall, McGowan, Adam (Adam 52), Anderson (McCowan 69), McGinn (Rudden 69), McMullan, Mullen.
Subs not used: Welsh, Fontaine, Byrne, Chapman, Robertson.
Referee: Willie Collum
Attendance: 13,747
