Dundee recorded their first home win since December with a 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock.

Juan Sara had fired the home side into a first half lead from close range when Kilmarnock defender Kevin McGowne had made a hash of a clearance.

Dundee appeared to have made it comfortable when Beto Carranza made it 2-0 from the spot after McGowne was adjudged to have fouled Sara in the box.

But Killie substitute Craig Dargo pulled one back in the 90th minute for the visitors to set up a tense finish in injury time.

However, their home side hung on for what was a deserved victory.

Dundee started the game brightly and in the eighth minute a surprise volley by Javier Artero nearly caught out Kilmarnock goalkeeper Colin Meldrum who had to scramble back to grab the ball on the line.

The home side continued to dominate the first half and there was no surprise when the Dark Blues took the lead in the 34th minute.

Artero raced down the left hand side and when his cross came over Killie centre back McGowne mis-kicked his clearance six yards from goal.

The ball fell kindly for Sara who had the simplest of tasks firing in from close range.

Moments later Sara should have made it two when Fabian Caballero laid the ball off to him in the box but blasted high over the bar.

Sara missed an even more remarkable chance on the half-time whistle when he somehow managed to head past the post with an open goal at his mercy.

Dundee started the second half strongly and forced Kilmarnock back into their own half.

But the home side were still guilty of taking too many touches on the ball and their impressive passing movements came to nothing.

As the second half wore on Kilmarnock began to fight their way back into the game although they never looked like getting an equaliser.

They injected some pace into their attack in the 55th minute bringing on Dargo for the ineffective Christophe Cocard.

But the majority of the game was being played in the middle of the park and there were few goalmouth incidents to excite the fans.

The game seemed to be petering out until the 80th minute when Dundee were awarded a penalty after McGowne was adjudged to have fouled Sara following a Carranza corner.

And it was Carranza himself who stepped up to send Meldrum the wrong way from the spot.

Moments later Sara missed another sitter this time mis-kicking from ten yards when he only had Meldrum to beat.

Then Kilmarnock pulled a goal back when substitute Dargo raced onto an Andy McLaren pass to shoot past Langfield from 12 yards.

The goal set the game up for an exciting last few minutes and although McGowne and McLaren came close with headers the home side held on for a deserved victory.

Teams:

Dundee: Langfield, Smith, Khizanishvili (Vargiu 82), Coyne, Romano, Artero (Robertson 71), Nemsadze, Rae, Carranza, Sara, Caballero (Milne 83).

Subs Not Used: Roccati, Del Rio.

Booked: Romano.

Goals: Sara 35, Carranza 80 pen.

Kilmarnock: Meldrum, Innes (McCoist 77), McGowne, Dindeleux, MacPherson, Reilly, Calderon, Mitchell, Hay, McLaren, Cocard (Dargo 55).

Subs Not Used: Stewart, Di Giacomo, Fowler.

Booked: Innes, McLaren, MacPherson.

Goals: Dargo 88.

Att: 6,261

Ref: A Freeland (Scotland).