PARS 0 Dundee 0

DUNFERMLINE made it seven games without a victory as their play-off hopes took another dent against Dundee tonight.

Their destiny is now not in their own hands after this game in hand on fourth top Inverness ended in stalemate, leaving them a point and a place behind the Highlanders with three games to go.

In the end, they couldn't really complain about this result as, whilst they had chances, the Dees controlled large periods of the second half and had plenty of opportunities of their own.

The result moves Dundee a further point closer to securing a top four berth, but Dunfermline are now relying on other results going their way.

Athletic head coach Stevie Crawford made two changes to the starting line-up that played out a 1-1 draw with Ayr United on Saturday.

Steven Whittaker - who came off the bench having missed the previous three games - and Craig Wighton, against his former club, replaced Lewis Mayo and Fraser Murray, who both dropped to the bench.

Dundee, meanwhile, had no less than three former Pars stars in their side, in the shape of Lee Ashcroft, Shaun Byrne and Paul McMullan, whilst a fourth, Jonathan Afolabi - who had a short spell on loan from Celtic last term - was named as a substitute.

Former Dunfermline skipper Ashcroft, who joined the Dees in the summer after spending four years at East End, scored the winner the last time the teams met at Dens Park last month and was making his first appearance back at the ground since departing.

And, within a minute, he was almost celebrating his team taking the lead.

The visitors broke well on the right through McMullan, whose low centre picked out Jason Cummings.

The former Hibernian and Rangers man saw his effort blocked by the home defence but, as the ball fell to Jordan McGhee, he fired the ball not too far wide of Owain Fôn Williams' goal.

Dunfermline, though, were soon attacking at the other end and had a good opportunity themselves to score.

Aaron Comrie clipped the ball forward for Declan McManus, who skipped away from his man down the right and drilled a low ball into the box.

Although it was cut out before it could reach Kevin O'Hara, the ball fell to Wighton, but he couldn't direct his effort on target.

O'Hara himself had a first sight of goal on the 15 minute mark when Dom Thomas slipped him into the box on the left, but his shot lacked the required power to beat Adam Legzdins.

Dundee were forced into a 19th minute change when the injured Jordan Marshall was replaced by Christie Elliott, and moments later, Danny Mullen headed wide from around eight yards after Cummings picked him out with a fine inswinging cross.

Declan McDaid was next to have a go, bringing out a fine save from Fôn Williams after some neat play sent him rushing into the Pars box, before Ewan Henderson forced Legzdins into work from the edge of the box on the half hour.

The final 15 minutes of the opening period, however, became quite scrappy and neither team could find a rhythm.

Jordan McGhee came closest to a goal for Dundee, though, with a hook shot from Liam Fontaine's long throw that was just wide.

Thomas had the first real effort of the second half 10 minutes after the break when, after skipping away from his man, he advanced, cut inside onto his right foot and shot from range, but Legzdins was up to the task.

At the other end, Mullen tried to take matters into his own hands with an effort from 25 yards or so that was, being kind, wayward, before he fired another effort at Fôn Williams a couple of minutes later.

Mullen and McDaid, with a header from eight yards at the back stick and a shot from range respectively, both have further efforts for Dundee who, as the second period progressed, began to look the more likely to threaten a goal.

Almost immediately after entering the fray, Dundee sub Osman Sow headed over from a corner, with Crawford switching O'Hara for Fraser Murray moments later.

Mullen, after being picked out by a superb McMullan set-piece, sent a clever header narrowly wide of the far post after finding too much room in the Pars box as the visitors continued to press, with McMullan side-footing wide from the edge of the area after being picked out brilliantly by McDaid.

Dundee had controlled things for long periods in the second half but, almost out of nowhere, the Pars had a good chance in the latter stages.

They found Thomas on the right who, after cutting into the box, fired a shot that was deflected into Henderson's path, who in turn saw his route to goal blocked at the far post.

As the game moved into six minutes of stoppage time, Fraser Murray lashed a shot well over from range as the Pars tried to find something, but in the end they couldn't find the winner.

Pars: Fôn Williams, Comrie, E. Murray, Gašpuitis, Edwards, O'Hara (F. Murray 76), Whittaker (Mayo 65), Henderson, Thomas, McManus, Wighton (McCann 85).

Subs not used: MacDonald, McInroy, Watson, Gill.

Booked: Whittaker (24), Henderson (84) Dundee: Legzdins, Kerr, McGhee, Fontaine, Ashcroft, Byrne, Mullen, McDaid (Afolabi 89), McMullan, Marshall (Elliott 19), Cummings (Sow 75).

Subs not used: Jakubiak, Adam, Fisher, Ferrie.