DUNDEE 1 ABERDEEN 2

William Hill Premiership

Saturday 15th February 2025

Dens Park

Ref: Grant Irvine

Attendance: 7,632

The Dons finally ended the long, 98 day wait for a league win, goals from Kevin Nisbet and Topi Keskinen enough to beat Dundee and register the first win since 9th November when the Dons beat, well, Dundee.

After beating Dunfermline Athletic to move into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals last Sunday, Jimmy Thelin named an unchanged starting XI. Dimitar Mitov returned to the bench after injury, and Oday Dabbagh was included among the substitutes for the first time.

Dundee beat Airdrieonians 4-0 in the Scottish Cup last Saturday and made just the one change, Mo Sylla relacing Oluwaseun Adewumi. 

The Dons made a brisk start to the game, pushing Dundee back into their own half in the opening minutes, but it was the hosts who had the first shot in anger after six minutes, Murray wriggling into space to get off a low shot that Ross Doohan handled comfortably. Doohan was down sharply again on 11 minutes when Mulligan drove his way through a couple of challenges before getting off a shot from 20 yards. 

Now it was Aberdeen’s turn to be penned in by an increasingly aggressive Dundee performance, Larkeche lashing a shot into the side netting on the quarter hour. 

The Dons created a good chance on 25, created by a driving run forward by Ante Palaversa. His pass into the box found Topi Keskinen, but his first touch was heavy and although he eventually got a shot away, the real opportunity had passed, McCracken untroubled as he saved. 

A neat passing move between Gueye and Nisbet looked to have created a chance for Keskinen, but Robertson was in quickly to block on 28. But a minute later, the Dons were in front. A Palaversa corner was half cleared, but collecting it 30 yards out, Jeppe Okkels hoisted a great ball to the back post. Kristers Tobers came sliding in onto it, his shot on the stretch only parried back across goal by McCracken, Nisbet following in to score from five yards out. 

Okkels nearly made it 2-0 on 25, collecting a pass from Gueye before weaving his way across the top of the box. His shot was heading for the bottom corner before McCracken clawed it to safety.

It was all hands to the defensive pump on 42 minutes, half a dozen blocks made by the Dons in quick succession as Dundee threw everything at them in a goalmouth scramble. Eventually it went behind for a corner, which only restarted the chaos, which only ended when McGhee stabbed wide from ten yards out. 

HALF-TIME: DUNDEE 0 ABERDEEN 1

Palmer-Houlden replaced Tiffoney for the hosts at the break.

Making a good start to the second half, the Dons doubled their lead in the 52nd minute. Picking the ball up from Nisbet some 40 yards out, Keskinen advanced 10 yards and produced a swerving, dipping, missile of a shot that flew into the top corner with McCracken rooted to the spot, a superb goal in front of the travelling supporters.

Dundee wasted no time in getting one back though, scoring almost from the kick-off. Mulligan wriggled into the box and flicked an innocuous looking ball towards the six-yard area, Palmer-Houlden suddenly appearing in between two Dons defenders to flick past Doohan from close range.

Aberdeen almost immediately brought on Shayden Morris and Nicky Devlin for Okkels and MacKenzie. Finlay Robertson replaced Sylla for Dundee on 58. Cameron made way for Adewumi after 68 minutes. 

Dundee had a glorious chance to level it up on 72, breaking away quickly from an Aberdeen corner. Palmer-Houlden had two better options to his right as he broke forward but instead chose to shoot from 16 yards, pulling his shot well wide of the target. 

Adewumi took the first booking of the afternoon on 74, the pace of Morris too much for him to handle. From Palaversa’s free-kick that followed, Tobers bulleted a header towards goal, McCracken doing superbly to turn it away for a corner away to his left, an outstanding save.

Devlin almost created a third on 77, pulling the ball back from the by-line, the cross eventually reaching Keskinen, but his shot was blocked away for a corner. From the second that followed, Dundee were on the counter again, another almighty scramble following in the Aberdeen area, more efforts being scrambled away as the Dons desperately looked to keep the lead intact. 

Dundee made their final change in the 82nd minute, Larkeche replaced by Garza. Donnelly was booked three minutes later for dissent. In the 89th minute, Graeme Shinnie, Dabbagh for his debut, and Leighton Clarkson came on for Palaversa, Keskinen and Gueye.

A chance fell McGhee’s way in the 92nd minute, the ball dropping his way at the back post but he simply curled the ball over the bar. Moments later, Doohan had to be brave, coming out to gather at Murray’s feet as he chased a ball forward, closely pursued by Tobers.

Dabbagh was inches from a debut goal, sprinting onto a Clarkson pass, but McCracken made a good save, though the offside flag did go up. It mattered not. Three points for the Dons, and third place reclaimed. 

DUNDEE: McCracken, Donnelly, C Robertson, Portales, Mulligan, McGhee, Sylla (F Robertson 58), Cameron (Adewumi 68), Larkeche (Garza 82), Tiffoney (Palmer-Houlden 46), Murray. 

Subs not used: Carson, Ingram, Astley, Samuels, Shaughnessy.

GOAL: Palmer-Houlden (54)

BOOKED: Adewumi, Donnelly 

ABERDEEN: Doohan, Jensen, Tobers, Knoester, MacKenzie (Devlin 56), Heltne Nilsen, Palaversa (Shinnie 89), Okkels (Morris 56), Keskinen (Dabbagh 89), Gueye (Clarkson 89), Nisbet.

Subs not used: Mitov, Ambrose, Dorrington, Boyd.

GOALS: Nisbet (29), Keskinen (52)