4 Dundee talking points as Kilmarnock defeat sparks more VAR anger and ramps up relegation concerns

The Courier

11-05-2025

Dundee still have it all to do to ensure they are playing Premiership football next season after a controversial 3-2 defeat to Kilmarnock.
A rush of blood from Seb Palmer-Houlden handed the Rugby Park side the opportunity to seize the advantage with Danny Armstrong's 31st-minute penalty.
And, then, just as the Dark Blues drew level with a well-crafted equaliser from Lyall Cameron, the curse of their defensive lapses struck once more as Bruce Anderson earned Killie the lead again.
A third from Robbie Deas in the 91st minute seemed to have put the game to bed, until Cameron speared in his second four minutes later.
A grandstand finish failed to pay off in the remaining five minutes of stoppage time.
Courier Sport was in Ayrshire to assess all the action.
Another game and, unfortunately, another VAR controversy for Dundee.
If there was an element of the subjective about the decision to rule out Antonio Portales' strike against Motherwell, this was a completely different scenario.
Dark Blues boss Tony Docherty says he does not want to be the manager who is always moaning about referees' decisions.
He certainly has something of a reputation in that regard – but he had plenty of reason to do so again.
When Don Robertson was called to the screen by VAR official Gavin Duncan in the 66th minute to review a potential push on Simon Murray, there looked to be only one eventual outcome. That is normally how it works.
Except Robertson never got to see what had initially piqued Duncan's interest because the whistler did not get to view any footage.
The explanation given to Docherty was that it was decided the incident took place outside the box. But confusion still reigned after the full-time whistle.
If the potential push on Murray was not in the box then why was Robertson brought to the monitor at all, only to be left standing awkwardly?
The Dens Park club have every right to be given an explanation.
Whether a penalty at that stage of the game would have made any difference to the final outcome is debatable.
Only ten minutes later, Dundee hauled themselves level anyway.
It was a fantastic move, with Fin Robertson capitalising on Liam Donnelly's error and Seun Adewumi poking an excellent pass through for the supporting run of Cameron.
But parity lasted barely seconds after the restart.
The officials' decision-making may not help but the Dark Blues are failing to 'control the controllables'.
How was Donnelly able to loft in a cross from the left? How was Bruce Anderson – hardly the tallest of strikers at 5'8'' – the one to get his head on the end of it?
Even then, with time left for a leveller, to lose such a simple goal as Killie's third, from Armstrong's corner, was just another lapse in a campaign littered with them.
The stakes are high for questionable decisions from the officials, but the worst goals against column in the whole Premiership is why the Dens Park men are still in trouble in tenth.
The question is whether they can finally discover defensive doggedness when it is needed most.
Clearly no-one at Dundee envisaged being in a fight for top-flight survival this season.
The hope was that progress would be made from last term's top-six finish.
But, with just two games remaining, Docherty's side have to face the grim facts of their current predicament.
To search for positives, their fate is in their own hands.
They would much rather be in their position than that of St Johnstone at the bottom, or Wednesday's opponents, Ross County, in 11th.
What they need to do is clear. One win in midweek and they are safe from the drop and nerves will not be shredded in a last-day showdown with St Johnstone.
With just three wins from their last 12 matches, they must summon up 90 minutes worthy of saving their campaign.
It is time for whoever is picked to face County to prove their character as well as quality and save the club's top-flight status.
Dundee's team selection for the clash with the Staggies will be intriguing.
Against Killie, Docherty made two changes to his line-up from the side that collapsed in the second-half to suffer defeat against ten-man Motherwell.
Clark Robertson was left out following his role in the loss but his replacement, Aaron Donnelly, was culpable at both of Kilmarnock's second-half strikes.
Yet again, the Dark Blues succumbed to the simplest of goals from their opponents, with Palmer-Houlden, the other man brought in, conceding a silly spot-kick.
It could have been worse late on had goalkeeper Trevor Carson not justified his inclusion on the plastic pitch with three excellent stops in the final five minutes of regulation time.
At the other end of the pitch, things did not really click until Adewumi was called off the bench in the 57th minute for the misfiring Scott Tiffoney.
Adewumi showed more attacking intent in his time on the pitch than the starters.
After a quiet game at Rugby Park, Dundee desperately need to find the right mix to get the best out of Murray against his old club on Wednesday night.