GORDON Greer won praise from Lee McCulloch after the Kilmarnock captain got his side back on level terms following a slip-up ahead of an early Dundee opener at Rugby Park.

The defender lost his footing on the ball inside his own box in the fourth minute but cleared before Faissal El Bakhtaoui could take advantage. Seconds later, Roarie Deacon’s cross was laid on by Scott Allan for A-Jay Leitch-Smith and while his shot was saved by Jamie MacDonald, El Bakhtaoui tucked away the rebound.

Greer drilled home in the 64th minute after Kris Boyd, who had just come off the bench, had headed back Jordan Jones’ corner.

Kilmarnock manager McCulloch said: “I thought over the course of the game we were the better team. Again there was an individual mistake at the start of the match, but if we want to try to play a certain way, mistakes are going to happen. The biggest thing is how we react.

“Gordon’s been fantastic. He’s been man of the match in his last four or five games. It was great character from him and the rest of the boys.”

Both sides searched for a winner and El Bakhtaoui hit the bar with a spectacular effort before Boyd had a glorious chance to win the game with the last kick of the ball, but screwed a volley well wide following Lee Erwin’s cross.

Dundee manager Neil McCann felt his side lacked spark, but questioned whether Greer’s goal should have stood and whether home midfielder Calum Waters should have had more than a yellow card for a 60th-minute foul on Jack Hendry. McCann said: “I thought Kris Boyd was all over the top of Cammy Kerr. Cammy was leaning back and clearly it’s a bit of a mismatch, but I thought his arms were up.

“There was a goal chalked off last week with Steven Anderson for virtually the same thing where he was climbing above Darren O’Dea, and I felt there was a case there for a foul.”

On Waters’ challenge, McCann said: “For me, it was like a car crash. He was going in at such a speed. I know you can say he mistimed it, but there was a clear split second when he knocked it past him and then the impact. It could have been a serious one.”