St Mirren's French triallist Moussa Dagnogo handed the Paisley side three valuable points against 10-man Dundee.

The visitors had taken the lead through Juan Sara but he was booked for lifting his top to reveal a T-shirt with a slogan underneath.

Within 10 minutes of giving the Dens Park side the lead Sara was sent off after receiving a second yellow, this time for deliberate handball.

Paul Rudden supplied the equaliser for Saints before former Bristol Rovers striker Dagnogo's late winner.

St Mirren faced an uphill struggle heading into the game after sinking to the bottom of the league on Wednesday night.

But it was the struggling Paisley side who had the first real chance of the game after four minutes when striker Mark Yardley took the ball round Georgi Nemsadze before unleashing a long-range effort but the shot was well over.

Dundee went closer two minutes later. A Sara pass in the box found Gavin Rae, who controlled the ball before trying to place the shot in the top left corner but he struck just over.

Sara himself had a decent chance after nine minutes. Javier Artero provided the cross to Sara in front of goal only for the Argentinian to pull the shot inches wide.

After 15 minutes Rae almost grabbed the opener from a Carranza cross when he tried to chip goalkeeper Ludovic Roy but sent the ball over the crossbar.

Sara had better luck after 23 minutes. Carranza was again the provider and Sara produced a superb overhead kick to fire the ball past keeper Roy.

But the opener proved to be bitter-sweet for the Dundee player when referee David Somers cautioned the player after he pulled up his shirt to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with one of his now infamous messages.

He was denied a second goal eight minutes later when a goalbound effort was blasted off the line by veteran Saints skipper Tommy Turner.

Sara's earlier caution proved costly when the referee judged that he had deliberately handled the ball after 35 minutes and showed him the red card.

That spurred St Mirren on and Iain Nicolson came close with a shot inside the box that was just touched wide by goalkeeper Marco Roccati.

Chris Kerr took the resulting corner which came off Nemsadze and fell into the path of Rudden, who stabbed home the leveller on 41 minutes.

Saints tried to make their extra man count and pushed forward after the break but were finding it difficult to create much in the way of clear-cut chances.

It was Dundee who came close to reclaiming their lead when Nemsadze found Claudio Caniggia. The Argentinian produced a delightful back-heeled kick to Artero whose shot flew just over the crossbar on 64 minutes.

Seconds later Dundee had another decent chance. Nemsadze himself had a go and was denied only by Sergei Baltacha's well-timed clearance.

Ricky Gillies had earlier replaced Scott Mackenzie and he tried to put Saints ahead with a long-range drive but the effort deflected wide.

Former Aberdeen midfielder Gillies had another great chance for St Mirren on 72 minutes when he burst through with only the goalkeeper to beat but managed to send the ball past the post.

Hugh Murray had a go from 20 yards a few minutes later but his shot was well over and Yardley should have done better with a chance inside the box.

Kerr came close with a superbly struck shot that goalkeeper Roccati blocked but the ball came back off the crossbar into the path of St Mirren's trialist Dagnogo, who fired home the second after 84 minutes.

The former Bristol Rovers striker almost added another two minutes later but his shot whistled just over the crossbar.