Queen’s Park failed in their Cinch Championship title bid on Friday as their four Lanarkshire players couldn't help get Scotland’s oldest club back to the top flight for the first time since 1958.
The Spiders needed to win the game to become champions and get Scotland’s oldest club back to the top flight for the first time since 1958.
Charlie Fox’s goal of the season contender after 10 minutes, an outrageous looping strike into the top corner from distance, cancelled out Alex Jakubiak’s fourth-minute opener for Dundee and set the tone for a bonkers clash at Ochilview as the sides continued to trade goals.
Two minutes later Connor Shields sent the Spiders in front, only for Lee Ashcroft to level for Dee and Zach Robinson to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.
Fox grabbed his second in first half stoppage time to end a breathless first half at 3-3.
Spiders couldn’t put a foot wrong but the writing was on the wall when Lyall Cameron edged Dundee in front after 54 minutes and Luke McCowan struck nine minutes from time to break Queen’s Park hearts and send them into the play-offs.
A forced change for Coyle’s side saw former Cambuslang Rangers goal machine Scott Williamson watching from the stands due to injury, with Kings Park local Jacques Hegharty watching his teammates, including Coatbridge pair Josh McPake and Connor Shields, from the sidelines.
Gaffer Owen Coyle could not hide his disappointment post-match.
He said: “I was probably emotional at the end. We had the opportunity to finish champions at different times in the game. We came in at halftime at three-all, and their goalkeeper had one of the saves of the season.
“At three each, we are well poised at half time. Regardless of that, we cannot give the goals away that we did, we were really soft defensively. They know that, and they have been a credit to the club all season, so it is definitely hurtful.
“It is a tough road ahead given we have dropped to third.
“In terms of entertainment value, I bet it was fun to watch, but in terms of the goals we conceded, they were soft.”
Early pressure from Dundee paid off four minutes in as the Dee’s talisman, Alex Jakubiak guided a pass across goal into the far corner.
It didn’t take long for the Spiders to answer back as centre-half, Charlie Fox struck an outside-of-the-box volley into the top right corner of Legzdins' net five minutes later.
An action-packed first 12 minutes in front of the 2063 in attendance at Ochilview Park saw January signing Shields send home a scramble from the home side’s top scorer, Dom Thomas’, corner.
The goals didn’t stop from the centre-back department as Dundee retaliated with one of their own as Lee Ashcroft levelled the affair after volleying a headed pass home from around six yards out.
It was Jakubiak’s strike partner Zach Robinson that restored Dundee’s lead after 33 minutes in another six-yard box scramble.
The half would not end quietly as Fox headed home his second of the evening at the front post into the far corner.
The game’s excitement would not rest in the second half as a darting run by McGowan saw the ball fall to the feet of Lyall Cameron 53 minutes in to guide the ball into the bottom right corner of Ferrie’s net.
McGowan would become even more influential 28 minutes later when he sealed the league title for Dundee with a bullet of a shot from the edge of the area into the left-side netting.
Owen Coyle’s side were promoted via the playoffs last season, defeating Airdrie in the final, as they head back into it this season.
The former Burnley boss: “We are back and now have to focus on the playoffs. I said to them, if there is one way to get promoted, it is through the playoffs because I have experienced that both north and south of the border.
“We hadn’t beaten last season before the final in six or seven attempts, so it is all about finding a way.
“They will feel that hurt tonight, but we have to pick ourselves up for Tuesday.
“It happens, but we need to get lifted and progress through the playoffs.”
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