Depleted by Covid absences, serious injuries and then the folly of youth, Dundee showed they won’t go down without a fight this season and will provide abundant entertainment in the process.
Twice behind — and thankful to goalkeeper Adam Legzdins not to face greater arrears — the Premiership newcomers were level and taking aim at the lead midway through the second half.
Ascendancy gained by a second equaliser, scored by substitute Jason Cummings, was stalled suddenly by a moment of recklessness. Max Anderson, their excellent 20-year-old midfielder, hacked at the scampering legs of Eamonn Brophy and received a red card.
Manager James McPake could have name-checked all ten that remained for individual praise. Suffice to say that “to a man, they were outstanding.”
Ryan Sweeney and Lee Ashcroft repelled the best that St Mirren could throw at them as the visiting team pressed home the personnel advantage. When the defensive double act failed, Legzdins produced a remarkable reaction save from Scott Tanser’s six-yard header.
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St Mirren, within a minute of being a top-six side in 2020-21, are a fine yardstick for Dundee to judge themselves against. This augurs well if McPake could get his best team on the pitch.
Yet it is not only Anderson’s imminent suspension presenting him with problems there. Danny Mullen, taken off on a stretcher in the first half after an awkward fall challenging Joe Shaughnessy, was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured fibula.
Already minus Liam Fontaine and Cammy Kerr at the back and Shaun Byrne in front of them, Dundee’s back line was broken down within four minutes by a first St Mirren goal from Eamonn Brophy.
It was precisely what Jim Goodwin drew up in his mind when signing Curtis Main. A bullying figure to occupy centre backs, paired with an accomplice to pounce on his every prompt.
Main claimed Jak Alnwick’s punt, Brophy read the flick to steal in front of Jordan McGhee and drill a powerful low finish — with his weaker left foot — past Legzdins.
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Despite the reshuffling imposed on McPake by Mullen then Christie Elliott going off hurt, Dundee were not for buckling.
A swathe of set pieces unsettled St Mirren as the interval approached. Then a rush of dark blue bodies at the back post to pile on Paul McMullan’s deep corner forced Shaughnessy to put the ball into his own net.
Dundee were denied the chance to rebuild momentum early in the second half by a highly contentious penalty award by Craig Napier, the referee.
Jay Henderson won the spot kick, going to ground under a fair Cummings challenge. How the striker escaped a booking for his furious reaction is a mystery but his anger was understandable.
There was plenty of afters before the penalty. No amount of delaying tactics could trouble the unflappable Jamie McGrath. A serial scorer from the spot last season and the subject of Watford transfer speculation this summer, McGrath was cool and clinical once again.
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Six minutes later, Cummings regained his composure where it mattered — in front of goal. Thanks to Anderson releasing Jordan Marshall, the home side breezed upfield on the break.
Marshall’s square ball perfectly matched the run of Cummings who tucked home his first top-flight goal since April 2018 when he was on loan with Rangers.
The end-to-end action was well worth a replay, although Anderson will not have wished to catch his poor attempt to disguise the most cynical of professional fouls again.
He will have been relieved by the resolute display from his team-mates that followed and the insistence from McPake that he has nothing to apologise for.
“I’ll back him all the way,” the Dundee manager said. “I’ve had Max since he was 14. There’s a time to stop the game. But maybe Max was too eager to do that. I’ve seen it back and, if a professional foul is a red card, then it’s a red card.
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“But I’m extremely proud of all my players. Their penalty should never have been awarded — that cost us three points.
“Let’s not take that away from our challenging week — ten players out and three who played without training all week. What a great mentality they’ve got.”
On St Mirren’s inability to capitalise, Goodwin said: “They defended the box very well and maybe we could have been a bit cuter. But we should be relatively pleased with getting the point.”
Star man Adam Legzdins (Dundee).
Yellow cards: Dundee Adam, McMullan. St Mirren Shaughnessy, Brophy.
Red card: Dundee Anderson.
Referee: C Napier. Attendance: 2,300. Substitutes: Dundee J Cummings 7 (for Mullen 17min), R Sweeney 7 (for Elliott 39), C Sheridan 5 (for Robertson 58). St Mirren G Kiltie (for Erhahon 72), R Tait (for Henderson 74), K Dennis (for Brophy 79).