Tom McManus's 73rd-minute equaliser won Dundee a priceless point against Aberdeen and moved them one step closer to Bank of Scotland Premier League safety.

The Dark Blues, who are undefeated in the Granite City for over 11 years, harried and fought with their hosts throughout and deservedly took something from the game after Noel Whelan had given the Dons the lead with a spectacular 30-yard lob.

Dundee have found goals hard to come by this season, but McManus showed a great poacher's instinct to prod a shot past Ryan Esson and bring a 468-minute goal drought to an end.

The point gained from this draw, coupled with Dundee United and Livingston's defeats, means Dundee are now three points clear of the bottom.

Hibernian's win over Dunfermline also knocked the Dons off third spot, ensuring every issue in the league will keep ticking over for a few weeks yet.

The visitors were without top scorer Steve Lovell, so Duffy had to re-jig his formation and bring left-back Steven Robb into the side.

This meant he went with four across the middle instead of his usual three, with McManus pushed up alongside Fabian Caballero.

Aberdeen were denied the services of Alexander Diamond, who was suspended, so Phil McGuire slotted into defence in his place. Calderwood made two further changes and brought in Jamie Winter and Markus Heikkinen for the injured Richie Byrne and Richard Foster.

Dundee started brightly and Robb, in particular, was in lively form. He has made marauding runs from deep his trademark this season and it took a last-ditch challenge from Russell Anderson to halt his progress on the edge of the box after a 20-yard run past two defenders.

Garry Brady should have opened the scoring in the eighth minute but, after expertly controlling Robb's cross from the right, he fired a volley straight into Esson's hands.

Derek Soutar emulated his fellow goalkeeper's fine handling two minutes later, firmly grasping a ferocious Noel Whelan effort from the edge of the penalty area.

His handling was less than impressive when Scott Severin planted a swirling cross into his six-yard box but, thankfully for the keeper, Wilkie beat Whelan to the ball.

The Dundee goalkeeper had no chance with McNaughton's 20-yard effort five minutes before half-time but his luck held and the Scotland international's dipping shot smacked off the crossbar to safety.

Referee Stuart Dougal, in his first match back in the Premier League after a brain haemorrhage, flashed a yellow card to McManus for a cynical foul on McNaughton in the dying seconds of the first-half.

Chris Clark had been having a quiet afternoon by his standards, but reminded everyone that he was still there in the 55th minute with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box.

Soutar watched it as it dipped and swirled in front of him, but got his body behind it and clasped the ball firmly to his chest.

Much of the play in the early part of the second half could only be described as dreadful but in the space of three seconds, Whelan dragged the game out of the mire.

The Englishman, whose moves between Leeds, Coventry and Middlesbrough cost a combined £4million in transfer fees, picked up a loose ball 30 yards out and immediately spun on a sixpence before dispatching a wonderful chip into the top right-hand corner of Soutar's net.

The Dundee goalkeeper had been slightly off his line but, such was the quality of Whelan's vision and execution, he had no chance and could not be blamed.

The Dark Blues almost restored parity in the 67th minute when a bad blunder from Esson afforded Mann the opportunity to head goalwards. The former Inverness player's effort lacked real power and Winter was able to clear before it reached goal.

Duffy brought on Sutton for Barrett in the 73rd minute and his decision to add an extra attacker paid dividends within seconds. The on-loan Millwall man trotted into the box in anticipation of Brady's free-kick and, when the midfielder - in his first decent delivery all afternoon - picked him out, he was able to run the ball through to McManus.

Aberdeen's defence, for some reason, stood stock still and McManus gratefully bolted in behind Anderson before prodding past Esson.

Whelan almost overshadowed his fine goal by going close to getting a red card after lashing out at Wilkie. The pair clashed off the ball and were both guilty of shoving but the Dons star took it a stage further with a kick.

However, Dougal sensibly called both players together and told them to shake hands.

Duffy brought on Brent Sancho to shore up his defence in the final minutes and the Trinidadian obliged by spectacularly clearing a cross with an overhead kick in the dying seconds.

Teams

Aberdeen Esson, Hart, Anderson, Heikkinen, McGuire (Foster 60), McNaughton, Severin, Winter (Stewart 68), Clark, Whelan, Mackie.

Subs Not Used: Preece, Craig, Morrison, Muirhead, Considine.

Booked: McNaughton.

Goals: Whelan 63.

Dundee Soutar, Kitamirike, Mann, Wilkie, McDonald, Barrett (Sutton 73), Smith, Brady, Robb, Caballero (Sancho 85), McManus.

Subs Not Used: Dubourdeau, Robertson, Fotheringham, Conway, Cerdeira.

Booked: McManus.

Goals: McManus 73.

Att: 10,474

Ref: S Dougal (Scotland).