Dundee 0 Dunfermline 0

Pars down to 10 after Woods sees red in 44th minute but hold out for a well de

The temporary road signs gave directions to the Air Show at Leuchars but Pars fans stuck to the A90 and arrived in the City of Discovery full of expectations that they would see their team`s promotion challenge really take off . Nick Phinn returned from suspension and Manager Jim McIntyre had the pleasant problem of having to have selection decisions to make.

His starting eleven showed three changes from the team defeated at home by Livingston 14 days back. Phinn, Shields and Glass replacing Bell, Bamba and Scott Thomson. For the Dee Alex Rae made three changes as well. Bob Davidson, Mark Gilhaney and former Pars youth player Craig McKeown in place of Williams, McMenamin and Cowan.

The Pars kicked off attacking the goal at the west end and for the opening minutes took the game well inside their hosts half. There were four minutes on the clock before Paul Gallacher got a touch of the ball - a goal kick after Calum Woods clearance rebounded off Gilhaney. Paul McHale took three successive corners in sixth minute before Paton was penalised for pushing.

Play switched to the other end with McKeown forced to head a Glass cut back behind. Unfortunately the Pars first corner came to nothing. In 11th minute Mickael Antoine-Curier showed why he is identified as a danger with a neat passing play 25 yards out, that he laid back to Davidson and then received via Pozniak to fire over the crossbar.

It was 19th minute before a long ball from McHale was swept wide of Gallacher`s left hand post. Steven Bell came on as Stephen Glass was forced to retire in 26th minute and then Gallacher was down to parry a David O`Brien shot away and then Chris Pozniak drove the cut back well wide of Gall`s left hand post.  Davidson drove another chance into the stand before it was the visitors turn to apply the pressure.

McCann won a free kick deep down the left but Wiles` delivery would not sit up for Andy Kirk. Then a miscue from McKeown gifted the Pars a corner on the right but Wilson could only knock down Wiles` cross and Dundee cleared.

In 37th minute the home fans were given plenty to awe. Firstly, Davidson received a throw in down on the left and centred the ball to Pozniak.  His lay off to his right was met by Paton whose melter of a shot was excellently turned behind by Gallacher.  From the resultant corner Dundee had five successive chances that a post and Dunfermline blocked before Gilhaney shot wide.  Gary McKenzie had the simplest chance and it was Bob Davidson who hit the woodwork.

Back at the other end Rab Douglas was still to be tested and Bell almost produced some work for him from a Kirk cross but the header was easily gathered.  Graham Bayne made a good interception to escape down the right and Wiles won a corner but the cross was then too high for Wilson.

The game then erupted with just a minute to the break.  Right in front of the dugouts, Calum Woods head caught the back of Eddie Malone and Referee Euan Norris fiddled with his right breast pocket to get in for his red card.  Scott Wilson earned a yellow card in the protests but Dunfermline were going to play the entire second half with a one man disadvantage.

Half Time: Dundee 0 Dunfermline 0

Scott Thomson came on at right back as Jim McIntyre sacrificed Simon Wiles to keep his defence resolute. In 49th minute Phinn became the Pars third corner kick taker.  His cross was good but so was the defence with Pozniak clearing.

Phinn fired over another corner in 53 minutes and after Curier flicked it on Thomson was able to loop a header from the edge of the area that landed on the roof of the net.  Five minutes later there was a bit of a let off for the Pars as Gilhaney`s cross was fired towards goal only to be swept wide left by Antoine-Curier.

There were weak appeals for a penalty as Davidson hit the deck as Thomson challenged a Paton cross. All they got was a corner and Gallacher was able to deal with that.  Dundee continued to press with Davidson hitting the post from an O`Brien free kick but Bell relieved the tension winning a free kick that Kirk was off target with and then getting in a shot that dropped wide right.

Gallacher parried Davidson`s well struck shot away for a corner as the match entered its final quarter. Paton tried a couple of attempts to find his strikers in the box but the defence beat them away.  Malone had a blast wide right and Antoine-Curier headed a better Paton ball wide right.  The defence were surviving but in the travelling support concerns were growing over how long this could continue.

There was one almighty stramash in front of Gallacher as the best chances fell to MacKenzie and again Dundee were denied. At the other end Phinn popped one wide but Dundee then earned another two corners that they failed to make count. Burke shot Dunfermline`s last effort wide and as hard as Dundee tried they could find no way to the net.

It was a good point for the ten men who all gave 110 per cent.