Livingston 1-1 Dundee

[Bally]

Livingston 1-1 Dundee 
 
Duffy sorry for supporters
No regrets from Gough
Dundee have been relegated from the SPL after they failed to win a nervous final-day match at Almondvale.
Dundee went in front after 18 minutes, with Calum MacDonald knocking a Bobby Mann headed pass in from close range.

But Livi hit back eight minutes later when Craig Easton headed home from an excellent Hassan Kachloul cross.

The visitors poured forward as they pushed for a late winner and Tom McManus hit the post in injury-time but it was too late to avoid the drop.

Dundee knew they had to win to avoid slipping down to Division One and they started the game in a positive manner.

The visitors almost broke through in the opening seconds when Steve Lovell pounced on a short back-header from Eric Deloumeaux but the striker's shot hit goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie in the face and spun away for a corner.

Dundee enjoyed much of the possession and it was no surprise when they went in front.

Stephen McNally supplied the ball into the penalty box and Mann headed across goal for MacDonald to bundle home from a few yards out.

However, Livingston knew defeat would see them relegated and forced their way back into the game soon after going behind.

 
Craig Easton scored the equaliser for the home side

Kachloul provided the cross from the left and Easton nodded home in the 26th minute.

Livingston could have doubled their advantage soon after when an opportunist strike from Colin McMenamin was missed by everyone in the box but crashed off the post.

In the second half, Livingston came close when Burton O'Brien unleashed a superb 40-yard drive which was touched just wide before Emmanuel Dorado fired just over from the resultant corner.

Livingston had a great chance to make Dundee's position even more precarious when O'Brien stabbed the ball into the path of Kachloul but his shot was weak and easily held by goalkeeper Derek Soutar.

Dundee defender Mann could have been the hero for Dundee - only to fire agonisingly wide off the post.

And in injury-time, of which there was an astonishing six minutes, McManus went even closer when his low strike cannoned off the post.

Livingston: McKenzie, Bahoken (Rubio 57), Dorado, Deloumeaux, Dair, Easton, Vincze, O'Brien, Kachloul (Snodgrass 90), McMenamin, Lilley (Strong 86). Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Dorrans, Brittain, Horvath.

Booked: Bahoken, Vincze, Kachloul. Goal: Easton 26.

Dundee: Soutar, McDonald, Sancho, Mann, Robb (Sutton 67), Barrett (Caballero 81), McNally, Smith, Anderson (Robertson 87), McManus, Lovell. Subs Not Used: Jack, Larsen, Fotheringham.

Booked: Robb. Goal: McDonald 18.

Att: 8,968

Ref: J Rowbotham



 

[SHOTTA]

where will sancho be next season??

[Tallman]

where will sancho be next season??

Dens Park braced for mass clearout as reality kicks in
By Graeme Dey (Dundee Courier)

DUNDEE WERE last night facing up to the stark financial realities of relegation—and the severity of their situation is set to be addressed by the implementation of a severe round of expenditure cuts.

By chairman Bob Brannan’s own admission the Dens Park outfit—already having to service debts of £7 million in the wake of administration—face a drop in revenue next season amounting to £25,000-£30,000 per week as a consequence of lost TV and gate income.

And to compound matters they could also be confronted with having to find another shirt sponsor as the deal with existing backers Magners, which yielded a substantial five-figure sum this term, is about to expire.

Brannan and his fellow directors met yesterday afternoon to discuss the ramifications of taking the drop and settle on a course of action to steer the club through this crisis which will retain the confidence of bankers HBOS.

Last night they were refusing to reveal the extent of the cutbacks until the affected parties were informed but the predicted exodus is likely to be widespread, though unavoidable—as the existence of the club is at stake.

“We have a plan for the way forward involving very substantial cuts, as would be expected with any team that goes from the SPL to first division,” confirmed a Dark Blues spokesman.

“But it is only right that we discuss this plan in detail with our manager, players, staff and bankers before making any further public announcement.”

The obvious starting point for the board as they seek to balance the books is releasing those players—Brent Sancho, Fabian Caballero, Tom Hutchinson, Glen Larsen, Neil Barrett, Aaron Conway and a number of youngsters—who are out-of-contract next month.