PREMATURE as it may seem to talk in terms of relegation battles,

Saturday's encounter at Broomfield had all the hallmarks of one -- with

the defences totally on top and the forwards looking less likely to

score the longer the game wore on.

Dundee could take more comfort from what was a dire struggle. In

introducing seven new signings in the first two weeks of the season,

Simon Stainrod is at least being adventurous, and players like #200,000

signing from Banik Ostrava, Dusan Vrto, and Graham Rix are sure to

contribute more in future.

It was the combination of Dens assistant manager Jim Duffy and

21-year-old Jamie McGowan, who was signed from English non-league

football, that must have been most satisfying to Stainrod, with the pair

soaking up the aerial assault that Airdrie produced.

''We had seven new players out there,'' reflected Duffy, ''and I'm the

only one who has played in the premier division before. The others have

come from English or continental sides, and Scottish football takes time

to get used to.

By contrast, Airdrie, who dominated the first half yet failed to take

their chances, have to guard against complacency and remember that, in

spite of last year's successes, they spent much of the season in the

bottom three.

For the record, Airdrie, who have still to score their first league

goal, came closest through Owen Coyle, who hit the bar in 10 minutes

after Alan Lawrence and Duffy had missed a Kenny Black corner, and Chris

Honor, whose

20-yard shot in the closing minute forced a diving save from Jim

Leighton.

Billy Dodds should have done better for Dundee than hit the side

netting when Ian Gilzean put him through just before half-time, and

Dodds again should have made more of a header when Graham Rix, in one of

his rare intrusions into the game, beat a defender and crossed only for

the unmarked striker to head over.

Airdrie substitute Sammy Conn lasted all of eight minutes before

joining Dundee's Steve Campbell in the referee's book, the only players

cautioned.