Melly Keeps The Reds In It !

(Photos from SNS & used with permission)

Dundee (2) 2 Kilmarnock (0) 2 
(SPL Match No.30 Mar 8th 2003 - Dens Park)

Kilmarnock fought back from two goals down to earn a valuable point at Dens Park. This stopped a team from being below Killie's 4th SPL position having a winning record against them this season. It also marked the 7th outing for Killie's red "lucky top", and they continue to be unbeaten while donning it! (5 wins & 2 draws!).

Dundee almost shocked Killie by taking the lead after only 15 seconds when Steve Lovell broke free to power in a shot from 16 yards, but the effort came back off the near post.

Killie's first real chance came after 14 minutes when James Fowler combined well with Alan Mahood who had plenty of time and space to shoot but snatched at his effort and sent it over the crossbar.

Garry Brady was next to threaten for the home side and was desperately unlucky not to open the scoring with a long-range shot that Meldrum was able to get the merest of touches on to knock it wide.

Andy McLaren should have drawn first blood for the Rugby Park outfit. A sweeping move saw McSwegan chest the ball down to the winger deep in the home box but his first- time volley banged off the cross-bar and away to safety.

Kilmarnock forced Julian Speroni into his first save of the match moments later when McSwegan's looping header came close enough to convince the goalkeeper to knock the ball over the crossbar.

Dundee had a decent claim for a penalty turned down by referee Hugh Dallas in the 30th minute when Chris Innes looked to have handled the ball after Caballero knocked it past him.

The Dark Blues should have taken the lead after 35 minutes when Caballero danced past Greg Shields before picking out the unmarked Gavin Rae on the penalty spot, only for the midfielder to fluff his shot.

But it took only another three minutes for Dundee to find the net,  Giorgi Nemsadze sent a wonderful cross to the back post for Wilkie to head home from six yards.

Caballero was on top form and created the second two minutes later when he broke down the left and sent a cross into the box for Milne, who took advantage of Kilmarnock's poor marking to nod the ball past the exposed Meldrum.

Killie came back into the match six minutes after the break when Speroni managed to get hand to an effort from McSwegan but it fell to Peter Canero, (left) who knocked the ball into the empty net, to score in his 4th consecutive match!

Dundee should have restored their advantage after 58 minutes when Milne sent Rae through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot spun wide of the target.

Dundee created another one-on-one opportunity for Milne, but Colin Meldrum was alert enough to make the save.

Substitute Nacho Novo's cross fell to Brady on the edge of the area and his low shot was well blocked again by Melly.

Dundee lost their grip on the three points with only five minutes left when Gary McSwegan popped up unmarked in the box to draw his side level.

Fulton crossed from the left - injuring himself in the process - and the former Hearts and Dundee United man was on hand to take advantage of Dundee's sloppy defending to knock the ball past Speroni with his left foot.

The goal sparked wild scenes of celebration from the Killie bench, but that was short lived as they discovered Stevie Fulton (right) could take no further part in the game and was replaced by Gary Locke.

Kilmarnock: Meldrum, Innes, Shields, Dindeleux, Canero, Fowler, Mahood, Fulton (Locke 86), Hay, McSwegan, McLaren (Boyd 64).

Subs Not Used: Stewart, Murray, McDonald.

Attendance: 6,531

Ref: H Dallas