Dundee United could only draw with bogey team Dumbarton at Tannadice and they were lucky to get even a point.
The part-time Sons, who won twice and drew once with Ray McKinnon’s men last season, shocked the United supporters again by grabbing the lead through David Smith with just five minutes on the clock.
The hosts struggled to get back on terms and it needed a wonderful freekick from substitute James Keatings with three minutes left to make it 1-1.
That was how it finished and it goes without saying that results like this just aren’t good enough for a team with title ambitions.
The Tangerines made three changes to the side that started their last league match, that dreadful defeat away to St Mirren just before the international break.
Out of the line-up went Mark Durnan, Willo Flood and Billy King, to be replaced by William Edjenguele, Jordie Briels and Scott Fraser.
The United captain for the day was Fraser Fyvie.
Tannadice was stunned on just five minutes when the Sons took the lead.
A mistake by Stewart Murdoch in the right-back area gifted possession to the visitors.
Tom Walsh swung the cross over to the back post and, with United’s Jamie Robson failing to clear, the ball was prodded over the line by the thigh of Smith.
It was a terrible goal for United to lose and they had to pick themselves up off the floor and start again.
They created a decent opportunity on 20 minutes when Paul McMullan broke upfield and fed Fraser. The midfielder took it first time with his left boot but keeper Scott Gallacher did well to save.
On the half-hour mark, McMullan played a fine pass through to Briels, who did the hard part by rounding keeper Gallacher but then sliced his shot wide of the post from the angle.
The Tangerines were huffing and puffing but not really hurting the visitors, with a McMullan corner that was punched off the line by Gallacher and a low drive by McDonald not quite good enough.
Referee Greg Aitken blew early for half-time and, frankly, you certainly couldn’t blame him. The United players walked off with boos ringing in their ears.
There had to be change and it came in the form of Patrick N’Koyi on for Sam Stanton. The Congolese-Dutchman teamed up with McDonald in attack.
N’Koyi had a shot at goal three minutes after the restart which took a deflection but wasn’t rewarded with a corner.
McMullan squared the ball across the face of goal on 51 minutes but N’Koyi could quite get his feet sorted and failed to connect.
This was much better from United, though, and they brought on another fresh face in Billy King on 57 minutes, with Fraser making way.
On the hour, Dumbarton’s Dimitris Froxylias stung the hands of home keeper Harry Lewis with a freekick then Briels almost got the goal United craved when he smashed a shot in from 25 yards only for Gallacher to push the ball away for a corner.
McMullan blew another chance on 64 minutes when he skied his shot from 12 yards then there was a shout for handball against Sons player Stuart Carswell as he tried to clear from inside his own box.
McMullan should have burst the net for United on 70 minutes when he was found at the back post by a King cross from the left but nodded over from just a few yards out.
Remarkably, it should have been 2-0 to Dumbarton on 75 minutes when Walsh fired in a shot that had to be pushed on to the bar by United keeper Lewis.
Up at the other end, a dangerous King cross was cut out by Gallacher then McDonald hooked strike over on 78 minutes.
The minutes were ticking by and one or two more went by as the visitors brought on Callum Gallacher for scorer Smith on 81 minutes, while Keatings replaced Briels for the Tangerines.
With just three minutes remaining, United finally got a goal.
King was felled at the edge of the box by Dumbarton’s David Wilson, resulting in a freekick in a great position. Up stepped sub Keatings to curl a superb shot past the outstretched arm of Gallacher.
There was not time for goal celebration, however, and they went looking for a winner.
However, all the got was a chorus of boos as the final whistle blew.
Attendance: 5,331.
Dundee United: Lewis, Murdoch, Quinn, McMullan, McDonald, Fraser (King 57), Stanton (N’Koyi 46), Edjenguele, Robson, Briels (Keatings 82), Fyvie. Subs not used: Deniz, Durnan, Toshney, Flood.
Dumbarton: S. Gallacher, Smith (C Gallacher 81), McLaughlin, Carswell, Walsh, Wardrop, Wilson, Hill, Morrison (Nade 70), Froxylias (Roy 89), Barr. Subs not used: Ewings, Johnston, Prior.
Referee: Greg Aitken.
