St Mirren were beaten on the road as we fell to a 3-1 loss at Dens Park as our poor league form continued.
Mikael Mandron gave Saints what was a well-deserved lead on 27 minutes, but the home side drew level less than two minutes later before taking the lead heading into the interval. Saints huffed and puffed, seeing the majority of possession and forcing a number of corners. But in truth never looked like worrying Jon McCracken in the Dundee goal. The hosts would score a late third on the counter to cap off a disappointing afternoon for the Buddies.
Saints were dominant in the opening stages of the game, seeing the vast majority of the ball and playing in Dundee's half. But it was the host who managed to fashion the first real opportunity in the game on 12 minutes. Drey Wright's cross in from the left found Joe Westley who got a toe on it, but it was easy for Shamal George to gather.
The Buddies continued to have the bulk of the play though and came close on 18 minutes when Marcus Fraser met a Mikael Mandron cross. His header came off a Dundee head and drifted over. Three minutes later, Saints had their best chance yet when Conor McMenamin's low ball across the face was met by the outstretched foot of Dan Nlundulu. The striker was agonisingly close to opening the scoring only for the ball to go inches by the far post.
Saints' persistence paid off on 27 minutes when Mandron fired us in front. Dundee's Clark Robertson played the ball right to the forward and despite having time to make his way into the box, he took it first time with a sweet low strike that found the net.
Mikael Mandron gave Saints a brief lead at Dens (Image: Andy Barr)
Frustratingly, the hosts would draw level less than two minutes later. Yan Dhanda's long-range effort came off Alex Gogic and found its way into the net. That gave the home side some momentum from nothing with Westley seeing a shot from the edge of the area deflect inches by the post on 33 minutes.
Dundee then took the lead on 39 minutes. Wright was afforded time at the edge of the area to get his strike away and he managed to sneak it in high at the near post.
Scott Tanser, who replaced the injured Declan John in the first-half, almost gave us the perfect start to the second 45 when he drove into the box and flashed a brilliant ball across the face. Wright was quickest to react though to clear the danger for the home side. Five minutes later, Tanser found Dan Nlundulu who turned in the box, but his strike was blocked. Jayden Richardson was next to try his luck only to shoot over from 20 yards.
For all of Saints' possession, they failed to test McCracken in the Dundee net. A number of corners and crosses were delivered into the Dundee box, but on too many occasions the Buddies didn't make first contact.
The game was wrapped up with three minutes of normal time remaining when Westley curled high into the net to make it 3-1 to the hosts. And just to sum up the Buddies' afternoon, substitute Jonah Ayunga cracked the cross bar in the first minute of injury-time to deny a big finish.
Stephen Robinson's men are back on the road on Wednesday evening as they take on Aberdeen at Pittodrie as they look to snap out of a disappointing run of form in the William Hill Premiership.
Full-Time: Dundee 3-1 St Mirren
St Mirren: George, Fraser (c), Gogic, Freckleton, Richardson (Dijksteel 75), Phillips, McMenamin (Idowu 65), Baccus, John (Tanser 32), Nlundulu, Mandron (Ayunga 65)
Subs Not Used: Tamosevicius, King, Donnelly, Taylor, Mooney
Dundee: McCracken, C.Robertson, Astley, Wright, Murray (c) (Hay 79) , Yogane (Samuels 70), Westley, Congreve (Jones 79), Dhanda (Digby 86), Graham, Hamilton
Subs Not Used: O'Hara, Koumetio, Acquah, F.Robertson, Reilly
Referee: John Beaton
AR1: Jonathan Bell
AR2: Graham McNeillie
VAR: Greg Aitken
