Before a ball had even been kicked at Dens Park, the hostile environment was almost palpable.

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright was booed enthusiastically by the home fans as he walked towards the dug out before kick-off as a result of his ongoing spat with home manager McCann, which has dragged on since the two teams last meeting a month ago with McCann’s punishment a one match touchline ban, which he served yesterday.

It wasn’t only the Dundee fans who were fired-up from the off though, with the home team out the traps in impressive fashion, getting the ball in the back of the net within the first minute.

Straight from kick-off, the home team went on the attack and were awarded a free kick which Kevin Holt took, Mark O’Hara directed it towards goal before Sofien Moussa tapped in from close range to out the home team one up.

The scoreline remained unchanged for over 80 minutes, although St Johnstone came close when captain Joe Shaughnessy rattled the cross bar with an impressive looking overhead kick in the 65th minute.

With just five minutes remaining, St Johnstone looked to have rescued a point through Steven MacLean, with his goal celebrated by manager Wright bowing in the direction of his travelling support.

Dundee were not finished though and in the dying minutes of a game that was becoming increasingly bad-tempered, the home side secured all three points and took a step closer to safety with a headed goal from Moussa, his second of the match, from a Kerr Cameron free kick.

With Dundee now six points clear of bottom-placed Ross County, McCann could barely conceal his delight at snatching a vital three points.

“It was a brilliant victory,” he said.

“As I said to them before the game - five games, 15 points available, we start off with a win against St Johnstone at home. We’ve ticked that box and it feels good.”

Despite his fall-out with Wright dominating the headlines in the build-up to the match, McCann refused to be drawn back into a war of words but he did admit that he didn’t relish the experience of being banished to the stand.

“It was difficult, I didn’t enjoy it one bit,” he said.

“It’s not great when you can’t affect things directly on the field and there were a few things I wasn’t happy with but at the end, all of those feelings just disappear and are replaced with satisfaction.

“It’s irrelevant what’s happened before - we’ve beaten St Johnstone three times this season but this one is the most important because it’s in the split. But I’m not talking anymore about Tommy Wright.”

St Johnstone manager Wright was visibly fuming about the two goals his team lost but is in no doubt as to who has come out of this prolonged spat the worst.

“You can’t defend like that in the first two minutes and you can’t defend like that in the final two minutes and that’s what’s cost us the game,” he said.

“I thought we were the better side, under no pressure apart from two punts into the box. It’s three points lost, it doesn’t matter who it’s to.

“The support I’ve received (in the aftermath of the fall-out), there’s only one person who’s come out of this not looking great and it certainly isn’t me.”