Dundee 2-1 St Johnstone: Dominant hosts snatch dramatic victory in Tayside derby

Jordan McGee's 89th-minute winner gave Dundee a dramatic but deserved come-from-behind victory over St Johnstone in a fantastic Tayside derby at Dens Park.

Dundee's dominance was finally rewarded after 15 minutes when Luke McCowan converted a controversial VAR penalty after Liam Gordon was adjudged to have committed a foul on Amadou Bakayoko.

Dundee pushed home the winner and it was McGee who nodded in Owen Beck's cross to the delight of the home crowd.

Tony Doherty's side remain sixth, but three points behind seventh-placed Hibernian, while St Johnstone remain in 10th place, five points ahead of Ross County after two games.

Despite the different stories for both teams this season, only two points separated them at kickoff.

However, Dundee tried to threaten the visiting defense from the start with McCowan, Scott Tiffoney and Lyall Cameron, but could not find a path to goal.

St Johnstone's opener after just eight minutes surprised everyone except Smith, who teed it up well before curling in the bottom corner from 20 yards out.

Dandy's reaction was good. Bakayoko hit the post as he cleared goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov, and Joe Shaughnessy and Aaron Donnelly headed the ball on target.

St Johnstone had a chance to double their lead. Benjamin Kimpioka and Adama Sidibe were denied by fine saves from Trevor Carson, but the visitors were unable to capitalize on their pace on the counter.

Dundee continued to press in the second half, hitting one cross after another, but lacked the finishing touch. They needed help, and they got it when Gordon pulled his hand to Bakayoko's face as the corner came in. VAR Don Robertson spotted it and called David Munro to the screen.

A penalty was awarded, with McCowan hitting off the post to force Dundee into the tie.

Blessed with strong winds, the hosts looked for a winner and soon found one when McGee curled a header past Mitov.

There was plenty of extra time following Michael Mellon's serious head injury, but Dundee were able to pull out an important win, their third in 13 games.

Best Player – Owen Beck

Dundee's superiority finally pays off – Analysis

When managers talk about converting performance into results, they usually take it with a grain of salt. But this time, Tony Docherty nailed it.

When Dundee comes forward, it's like watching the boys play. He packs energy and tricks, desperate to take the guy down and get a shot. They just need to find the clinical edge.

One wonders if they could have salvaged anything if the penalty had not been given. It was just the confidence boost they needed.

As for St Johnstone, they were in the top six for most of this afternoon. Despite receiving criticism from some quarters, Craig Levine and Andy Kirk did a decent job.

The Perth team were clinical, scoring at the first chance and threatening without producing a ton of points. But they will be furious if you throw this away.

What's next?

Dundee host Ross County in the Premiership on Saturday (15:00 GMT), while St Johnstone host Rangers the following day (12:00).