DUNDEE 0
Aberdeen 2 (Stavrum 25, Jess 61)

Attendance: 6,449

Subs: Luna (for Billio), Sharp (for Robertson), Bayne (for Falconer) Miller, Langfield

Dundee wasted the opportunity to finish fifth in the league when they turned in a 'looking forward to my holiday's' performance at Dens.

It wasn't the send off that Jocky Scott and Jimmy Bone would have hoped for in this their final game in charge of the Dark Blues.

It was the home side who had the first attempt on goal in the fourth minute when Hugh Robertson tried his luck from the edge of the box.

But the midfielder, just back in the side after an injury, pulled his shot and Aberdeen keeper Jim Leighton watched the ball trundle wide.

At the other end an Andy Dow effort from 30 yards was accurate but lacked the power to trouble Rab Douglas.

But in reality the opening period was low key and the game had a real end-of-season feel about it.

Most of the play was confined to the midfield area with neither keeper seeing much of the play.

In fact Leighton had to wait until the 20th minute before he was called into action again.

A Barry Smith cross from the right-hand side nearly went in under the bar but the veteran keeper reacted quickly to tip it over for a corner.

But in the 25th minute, against the run of play, the visitors took the lead.

When a Dow corner came over, Thomas Solberg flicked the ball on and it fell at the feet of Stavrum at the back post.

The big Norwegian was first to react and stabbed the ball home from two yards for his 12th goal of the season.

Dundee fought back but without any real creativity, although they had a strong claim for a penalty on the half hour when Solberg used his hand to stop a Boyack cross.

Despite the claims of the Dundee players and their fans the referee waved play on.

Fans favourite Luna was introduced for Pat Billio, who appeared to have picked up a knock, soon afterwards but the change to 4-3-3 had no noticeable effect as both teams showed a certain lethargy.

The second half started slowly with neither side showing any great enthusiasm for the task in hand.

The first attempt on goal in the second period came in 52 minutes but Jess' shot from the edge of the box was easily saved by Douglas.

Their was signs of improvement from Dundee but the cutting edge was still missing although when Leighton fumbled a cross ten minutes into the half he had to look sharp to deny Luna.

Moments later he made up for the mistake when he brilliantly tipped over to prevent a Solberg own goal after the defender had miscued his clearance from Smith's cross.

Just after the hour the Dons were on easy street as a punt up the park showed that route one works against the Dees - Eoin Jess was the man who benefitted and his finish from 22 yards was expertly executed. Although the Dundee defence parted a la the Red Sea to allow him a clear attempt.

Dundee continued to huff and puff with Jocky throwing on Lee Sharp and Graham Bayne and headers from Wilkie and Luna came close but as time ran out it was the visitors who came nearest to adding to the score, Douglas brilliantly tipping away Stavrum's piledriver.

DUNDEE 1 (Rae 54)
Hibernian 0

Attendance: 5,081

Subs: Luna (for Grady), Robertson (for Boyack), Miller, Bayne, Langfield

Dundee gave departing manager Jocky Scott the perfect response after an eventful week with an easy 1-0 victory at Dens Park.

Dundee showed the new management team and Jocky himself that they were loyal and committed. Jocky was looking to end the season on a high and Gavin Rae produced a second-half goal to put them above rivals United in joint 6th place with one game remaining which would make the blue half of the city delighted and on top for the 2nd year in a row.

Ivano Bonetti's first task since being appointment has been to painstakingly trawl through the Dundee video archives of this season but the first 10 minutes to this game would not have given him too much encouragement. However, the final 80 will have him relishing the start to the season. After the early exchanges Hibernian were outclassed and were lucky to escape with just a 1-0 defeat.

It took 14 minutes for Dundee to produce the first chance of the match when Patrizio Billio played a cross-field pass to Steven Boyack and his cross was headed wide by striker James Grady.

But that woke Hibernian from their Sunday afternoon stroll and Robert Douglas prevented the visitors from taking the lead when Pat McGinlay cut the ball back to Paul Hartley, whose effort from 12 yards was well saved and gathered at the second attempt.

Dundee then put together another good passing move in the 23rd minute with Javier Artero picking out Gavin Rae in the centre but Shaun Dennis blocked his goal-bound effort and the follow-up from Grady.

But Dundee were applying some pressure and it almost paid off in the 26th minute but Hibernian goalkeeper Nick Colgan came out to cut out Grady's cross with James Grady and Willie Falconer both lining up to score.

Moments later and Falconer should have broken the deadlock when Grady played him through to beat the offside trap but he fired into the side netting with just Colgan to beat, much to the displeasure of Grady and Boyack who were both clear in the middle of the box.

In the 28th minute Steven Boyack was the guilty party on this occasion as he too beat the offside trap but he shot too near Colgan, who made a terrific save.

On the half-hour the home side had penalty claims turned when Grady got to Falconer's pass in the area and nipped the ball just past Shaun Dennis and went to ground, but the referee waved away the protests.

Grady produced a dangerous run in the 30th minute after a mistake from Brebner as he twisted and turned past McIntosh but the Hibernian defender made up the ground to make a blocking challenge to deny him.

In the last minute of the half Hibernian produced their best chance when Stuart Lovell played Kenny Miller through but his tame shot was comfortably saved by Douglas.

Dundee started the second period like they finished the first and in the 48th minute Artero beat two players with a determined run into the box but McIntosh stood up to him and blocked his effort.

But the Dees did take a deserved lead in the 55th minute when the Hibernian defence failed to clear the danger and Boyack crossed for Rae to score past Colgan.

Dundee should have killed the game off a minute later when with three against two in the home side's favour Billio dwelled too much on the ball before passing to Grady, whose effort was blocked.

Grady then fired just over from the edge of the box in the 61st minute and then four minutes later Steven Tweed blazed into the side netting from Rae's cross. A desperate saving tackle from Tom Smith denied Grady a certain goal after Boyack had cut the ball back from the byline.

But Hibernian battled back and in the 75th minute Douglas pushed McGinlay's lob onto the bar as the home side breathed a sigh of relief.

Walking away from the ground at full time the Dundee support were left to wonder just how the side did not manage to score at least half a dozen.

However, Dundee secured the points and will look to doing the same against Aberdeen at Dens Park next week to give Jocky something to be proud of, as once again we manage to finish above the Arabs.

DUNDEE 3 (Falconer 49 & 73, Grady 64)
Dundee United 0

Attendance: 8,581

Subs: Grady (for Luna), Robertson (for Rae), Miller (for Tweed) Bayne, Langfield

A Willie Falconer double and a goal from James Grady gave Dundee a decisive win over rivals Dundee United at Dens Park.

A tremendous second half display gave the dark blues their first points of the season against the Arabs.

You just knew it was going to be our day - the High Corner was packed out and absolutely jumping with the whole thing being recorded by a TV crew. As if that wasnt enough then the site of the giant Flag unfurled and being carried down Kinghorn Road and Main street by the JMB Crew was a site to behold!

It was a comprehensive victory for the home side but there can be no doubt that the Arabs will claim it was aided by the first half dismissal of Quim aka Joaquim Ferraz, for an off-the-ball incident with Lee Wilkie.

But the warning signs had been there before United were reduced to 10 men.

The visitors had been let off the hook in the 30th minute when Pat Billio had sent a spot kick wide of the mark.

It was the visitors who almost raced into a third minute lead when Ferraz tried a spectacular bicycle kick, only to see it going well wide of the target.

The home side retaliated with a spell of pressure which had the United defence defending desperately. But the visitors next attack almost proved fruitful as Dundee keeper Rab Douglas had to tip a Ferraz header onto the bar and over for a corner. Both sides were taking turns to attack and Dundee's Wilkie came to the rescue of the home side when he threw himself to block a David Hannah shot from the edge of the box.

There was high drama in the 30th minute when Dundee won a penalty when Steven Boyack was upended by Craig Easton in the United box.

The young United midfielder had failed to shield the ball out of play and stupidly lashed out at Boyack after being dispossessed 10 yards from goal.

There was little protest from United of their fans as referee Jim McCluskey pointed to the spot. Billio stepped up confidently but sent his kick wide of Alan Combe's right hand post and the visiting fans celebrated the let-off.

There was more drama to follow two minutes from the break when Ferraz was red-carded for an off-the-ball incident involving Wilkie, who appeared to be head-butted by United's Portuguese striker.

Ten-man United started the second half facing an uphill task but within four minutes had conceded the almost inevitable first goal.

Javier Artero, picked up a pass from Boyack, and when his cross came over from the right veteran striker Falconer thundered a header in off the bar from six yards out.

The home side now had total control of the match and five minutes later Artero again cut the ball back to find Grady unmarked on the penalty spot.

But the substitute shot was straight at Combe in the United goal who gathered comfortably.

But in the 64th minute, after so much pressure, Dundee unsurprisingly doubled their lead.

Boyack swung a cross in from the right hand side and Grady raced in between the United defenders to blast a header past Combe.

The visitors looked demoralised and Gavin Rae could have had a third if his header hadn't been straight at Combe when it looked easier to score.

Dundee were now rampant and it was no surprise when they increased their lead to three in the 74th minute.

It was Falconer again who was on hand to head home from three yards out after Grady had headed back across the goal following a Boyack corner.

It was easy for the home side now and the only surprise in the closing minutes was that they never added to their lead.

The Bobby Cox and the Derry was in full voice whilst the Arabs that remained in the Shankly seemed to throw there scarfs onto the track behind Combes goal.

My My My what a beautiful Saturday

Rangers 3 (Dodds 53, McCann 57, Rozental 71)
Dundee 0

Attendance: 50,032

Subs: Grady (for Luna), Robertson, Bayne, Langfield, Miller

Dundee failed to dampen the party atmosphere at Ibrox as the Champions picked up the SPL trophy after a 3-0 win against the Dark Blues.

It was always going to be hard to quieten this crowd but a lacklustre first half performance by the light blues had them realising that perhaps Dundee weren't just going to roll over and die. They only tested Rab' Douglas from distance in that first period, although he didn't quite look confident that Albertz' shot shortly before the interval had been palmed over the bar and looked mighty relieved when it dropped onto the roof of the net. McCann had earlier come close (20 min) when he latched onto Reyna's through ball and fired a dipping shot past Douglas and off the top of the bar.

Dundee had just as many good moments at this stage with Gavin Rae being heavily involved. 27 minutes saw him in a dangerous position after a great ball from Luna, but the midfielder cut the ball back onto his right foot and his shot was blocked and with six minutes to half time he picked up Billio's cut back 20 yards out but fired high when in space. In between Steven Boyack went on a mazy run down the right before cutting inside and firing a low shot across Klos but without much power, the keeper saving comfortably. This brought the response from one Main Stand punter of "Hey' youse is no meant to dae that - this is oor party'.

The resumption brought a renewed level of noise from the revellers who had been somewhat subdued in the period immediately before the break and a superb bit of play from the league leaders brought the match back in line with the script. Albert had barely hit a good pass all evening but in 53 minutes he hit a wonderful ball out to McCann who showed great skill to bring it down and cut inside Barry Smith, with the defender in his wake he slid the ball inside for Dodds to spin and fire high past Douglas.

It was vital that Dundee didn't concede another in the few minutes after the opener but that's exactly what happened four minutes after Dodds' strike. Albertz' corner from the right was met by McCann inside the six yard box and despite a heap of bodies in that area the former Dee saw his effort hit the net.

Albertz had run the show in two of the previous three matches between the clubs and although he'd looked disinterested and out of sorts for much of this match he's been involved in both goals and now turned on his full receptor of probing passes. That Dundee came through the next period of the game relatively unscathed had as much to do with luck and bad finishing as it did with some good defending with the German being allowed acres of space in midfield.

Part of the reason that he was given this room was that Dundee were trying to get forward and being picked off on the break as some awful crossing (a feature of recent weeks) gifted possession to the home side on a regular basis. One decent ball in (from Boyack) saw Luna rise to head wide but another goal was always more likely at the other end and Reyna poked a 71st minute ball into space behind the Dees defence. Rozenthal got there first and seemed to have acres of time in which to tease Douglas and then stab the ball past the keeper as he committed himself. The mark of a good striker is the time they have on the ball and on this momentary evidence Rozenthal is top drawer.

Dundee continued to try to get forward, with Billio and Artero involved in most of the better stuff, but it was largely in effective as the final ball failed to give reward.It became obvious that Luna was getting frustrated with the lack of real service and with eight minutes to go the Spaniard was replaced by Grady who brought a more direct, but no more effective, approach.

Rangers by now had used all three subs and the volume was hiked up again as the party got ready for their trophy presentation. The final whistle brought a cacophony of noise and saw Dundee disappear to the sanctuary of the dressing room while Rangers took centre stage.

The Dees will have been glad to get away, three goals of a margin from a team which didn't fire on all cylinders against a Dundee side which turned in a performance much better than some seen this season. We'd probably have got a result against any other team in the league.

SAT 22ND APRIL

DUNDEE 1 (Luna 75)
Kilmarnock 2 (Wright 35, 75pen)

Attendance 6,208

Subs: Luna (for Falconer), Bayne (for Annand), Boyack (for Robertson), Langfield, Ireland

Dundee's fine run came to an end in front of a healthy crowd at Dens. The killer moment arriving when Pat Billio tugged the jersey of Killie substitute Jamie Fowler to conceded a penalty fifteen minutes from time.

Paul Wright stuck away the penalty to add to his first half header and although Dundee struck back straight away through sub Luna the damage had been done.

Jocky Scott made changes again with midweek hero Artero restored to the starting eleven along with Eddie Annand, Steven Boyack and fans favourite Luna dropping to the bench.

Dundee started brightly and had the first chance of the game after ten minutes when Falconer released Annand on the left but as the striker charged in on goal visiting defender Hessey got across to make a block.

Rab' Douglas had to look lively in 23 minutes when a ball over the top saw Dundee's defence freeze in anticipation of the offside trap and the keeper only just got to the ball before the onrushing Durrant.

Lee Maddison had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in thirty three minutes when he met Billio's free kick at the back post but the defender's header slipped inches wide.

Two minutes later Dundee were regretting that miss when after a spell of neat passing from Killie which looked like it was going nowhere former Dee McKinlay curled in an excellent cross which found Wright who had made a marvellous run, but not been picked up by the defence. His header lacked power but was perfectly placed to give the Ayrshire team the lead.

The second half saw Luna and Bayne on for Falconer and Annand and the Spanish hero made an instant impression as he teased and tormented the Killie defence. Unfortunately he teased referee Dallas as well and a late tackle on Durrant saw him go into the book for the third match in a row.

Seconds later the home fans were incensed when Luna was tackled late and sent sprawling only for Dallas to wave play on and then tell Luna to get up - indicating that he had dived.

There was no doubt however that he had added a new dimension to Dundee's play as the Dark Blues piled forward in the early moments of the half. Several time the ball bounced around the Killie box and Marshall was fortunate that Billio's edge of the box piledriver was hit straight at him.

For all their pressure however Dundee were still failing to make enough clear cut chances, with a couple of shots into the side net from acute angles and a Gavin Rae shot cleared off the line the nearest to a score. While the football was exciting it was also a bit too frantic. Dundee were pushing bodies forward and this gave Killie room to play on the break with sub Fowler showing a keen turn of pace as he raced down the visitors left flank on several occasions.

With quarter of an hour to go it was the young winger who raced into the box and although cleanly tackled by Barry Smith the referee pointed to the spot and indicated to Billio that he had been tugging the players shirt. At the time it looked a soft award, but TV proved that the Italian had impeded the youngster. Although Douglas guessed the right way Wright struck his penalty into the bottom corner with some expertise.

Eight and a half seconds after the kick off Dundee were back in it with Luna racing onto a long punt forward from Smith, to sneak between Holt and Hessey and poke the ball past Marshall.

Dundee pressed forward but the visitors haven't had many defensive problems in recent seasons and they held firm, although stretched at times. In fact it was they who came closest to adding to the score when Durrant's dipping shot clipped the top of the bar.

Killie boss Bobby Williamson was obviously delighted with the points, although admitting that Dundee had deserved a draw and he added that he had thought this had been a good match, with both sides trying to play football, particularly exciting in the second half.

Jocky Scott meanwhile was less than happy with the performance saying that Dundee hadn't played particularly well and had gone back to the old failing of conceding soft goals. Although Dundee had plenty possession in and around Killie's box when chasing the game they hadn't created enough goal scoring chances.

Aberdeen 0
DUNDEE 1 (Artero 93)

Attendance - 12,403

Subs:Artero (for Luna), Annand (for Boyack), Langfield, Bayne, Ireland

Dundee substitute Javier Artero hit an injury-time winner to sink 10-man Aberdeen and leave the Premier League basement side stranded at the foot of the table. However more importantly saw Dundee jump above the Arabs into 6th place.

The home side were left reeling with the dismissal of captain Derek Whyte after his second booking with 13 minutes remaining.

Aberdeen are now seven points adrift of Kilmarnock while Dundee moved 12 points clear and are surely safe from the end-of-season play-offs, should they happen.

Dundee, on a high after their draw at Celtic at the weekend, looked dangerous on the break in the opening exchanges but never really threatened the home goal.

In fact, it took nine minutes for Dundee to get the first shot on target when Francisco Luna spun in the box and fired on the turn but Jamie McAllister made the block in front of keeper Jim Leighton.

If ever a game needed a goal this was it and the most exciting thing to happen in the first 24 minutes was a booking for Dundee captain Barry Smith, for a foul on Eoin Jess.

Moments later and Russell Anderson made a desperate block to stop Lee Wilkie's goalbound effort troubling Leighton.

Luna then had the best chance of the first half in the 27th minute when Willie Falconer and David Lilley went up for a header and the Spaniard turned past Anderson but tried to be too clever and gave Leighton the chance to save.

It was 31 minutes before Aberdeen mustered their first effort on target when Belabed tried an optimistic effort from 20 yards but Robert Douglas had little trouble in saving low.

Wilkie then rose highest in the area in the 37th minute to meet Stephen Boyack's cross but his effort did not have the power or direction to trouble Leighton.

Aberdeen created their best chance so far in the 40th minute in a simple move as Belabed was in acres of space to meet Andy Dow's corner but his header sailed over the bar.

Dow then fired wide from the edge of the box after Belabed and Andreas Mayer had linked up to give the midfielder time for a shot.

Mayer then tried a shot from just outside the box that screwed yards wide actually causing more danger to the corner flag than the goal.

Whyte and Luna tangled in the 57th minute to wake the Pittodrie crowd, at least, and both went into the referee Kenny Clark's book.

Luna was sent sprawling again as Anderson came through the back of him and he was also shown the yellow card for his troubles.

Moments later Luna hobbled off to be replaced by compatriot Artero, who also impressed at Celtic, and were also hoping for spark from, but no one was expecting him to have such an impact. This was probably a wise decision as Luna was geting quite worked up at the traetment he was receiving and could well have ended up getting sent off.

Norwegian striker Arild (Steptoe) Stavrum had the chance to put his side ahead in the 65th minute when Mayer crossed from the right and his glancing header came back off the upright and into the relieved Douglas' hands.

But Aberdeen's hopes of victory suffered a huge blow in the 77th minute when their skipper Whyte was given his marching orders for a late tackle on James Grady and the referee had no hesitation in showing him his second yellow. Much to the delight of the 1800 strong travelling support who had barracked Whyte from kick off with the chant Whyte Whyte you are SHITE!

The Dons were holding on and thought they were safe until the third minute of injury time when Artero produced a wonderful strike that left Leighton - and Aberdeen - rooted to the spot, and caused wild celebrations amongst both the Dundee players and travelling support.

Celtic 2(Mahe 30, Burchill 45
DUNDEE 2 (Luna 1, Bayne 54)

Attendance - 47,163

Subs:Bayne (for McSkimming), Boyack (for Artero), Miller ( for Rae), Langfield, Tweed

Celtic goalkeeper Jonathan Gould made a sensational blunder to hand Dundee a share of the spoils at Parkhead.

Luna punished Celts' lacklustre start in the first minute of the match.

Gavin Rae surged down the right wing before hooking a dangerous cross into the box. Johan Mjallby and Olivier Tebily were found wanting and Luna rose six yards out to power a header beyond Gould.

It was a dream start for the visitors and you would have expected it to kick Celtic into action. But their lack of passion for what remains of their season looked all too evident as Dundee pressed forward again.

Celtic looked rattled and Luna again found space in the area and only a desperate challenge from Vidar Riseth prevented the little Spaniard from hitting the target.

Then from the following corner Stilian Petrov had to clear a Craig Ireland header off the line.

It took nine minutes for the home side to trouble Dundee goalkeeper Robert Douglas when Mahe picked out Jackie McNamara in the box, but his shot was comfortably saved by Douglas.

Celtic's frustrations increased in the 19th minute when Mahe was booked for a foul on Javier Artero as the home defence was struggling to keep tabs on Annand and the lively Luna.

Stilian Petrov then orchestrated a chance for himself in the 25th minute when he twisted and turned in the box to make himself room to shoot, but his effort whistled just past the post.

But this lifted Celtic and in the 27th minute, Mark Burchill had a tremendous opportunity to equalise when he was put through by Eyal Berkovic, but his effort was blocked by the feet of Douglas.

Celtic were on level terms in the 31st minute when Viduka got to the by-line and his cross was headed home at the far post by Mahe.

Lee Wilkie then went into the referee's book when he brought down Burchill who was threatening to bare down on goal after Berkovic's through ball.

From the resulting free kick Viduka hit a curling effort around the Dundee wall but Douglas got down low to his left to deny him.

However, Celtic did take the lead on the stroke of half time when Berkovic again played Burchill through and he made no mistake this time to shoot past Douglas.

The Parkhead faithful were left stunned again in the 54th minute when Dundee were gifted an equaliser following an incredible blunder from Scotland international goalkeeper Gould.

Artero crossed from the left and Gould appeared to comfortably collect a poor header from substitute Graham Bayne and had it firmly in his grasp but inexplicably let it slip out and into his goal.

This amazing reprieve spurred the Dee's on and Annand headed over from Lee Maddison's centre and they could sense that they could walk away with the full points.

Gould was again called into action in the 70th minute and did a much better job of it this time, blocking a powerful long-range effort from Patrizio Billio after Johan Mjallby's poor clearance.

But Celtic retaliated and Berkovic fired inches past the upright in the 72nd minute after McNamara had picked him out in acres of room on the edge of the box.

Sloppy play at the back almost handed the Dens men the lead when Jackie McNamara's poor clearance fell to Patrizio Billio on the edge of the box. But Gould went some way to making up for his clanger, beating away the midfielder's rasping drive.

Luna squandered another effort before Burchill passed up a great chance to regain the lead for Celts, when he ran down on goal and had just Douglas to beat but he appeared to get caught in two minds whether to chip or fire low but instead his effort sailed into the arms of the grateful keeper.

Celtic sub Stephen Crainey then went close with a fantastic 22-yard free-kick that Douglas pushed over under his post but the referee amazingly gave the goal kick - much to the annoyance of the fans.

Burchill went for glory in the 83rd minute when he was one-on-one with Douglas and had substitute Fernando de Ornelas to his left but he chose to go it alone and aimed aimlessly wide of the target.

Jocky Scott said after the game: "To come to Parkhead and get a result is first class for us. You have to show belief, composure and get the players forward and attack them.

"Far too often we've allowed Celtic to run over the top of us but we worked hard, scored a good early goal and then got a bit of luck with our second. I didn't even see it because I'd turned away as I thought the keeper had saved it!"

DUNDEE 4 (Grady 52, 54, Billio (pen) 81, Luna 86)
Motherwell 1 (Goodman 13)

Attendance: 4701

Subs: Artero (for Boyack), Annand (for Luna), Miller, Bayne, Langfield

"No English, See you Monday, Interpreter, said Francisco Aguilera (That's Luna to you and me) to the press but his broad smile said it all. The first Dundee player to have a nickname on his shirt had just turned in a sensational last half hour in his first game in Dark Blue. That he was largely anonymous up till then (although showing nice touches when involved) hardly mattered - He'd torn Motherwell's defence to pieces and capped it all nicely with a neat header to complete the scoring before being substituted to a standing ovation from fans who chanted his name over and over as the tannoy announced that he was the sponsors man of the match.

He wasn't the only Dundee player to be in red hot form as the Dees already led 2-1 when the Spaniard kicked into top gear. The Dee had fallen behind in 13 minutes when a weak shot from Goodman crawled under Rab' Douglas' body. That they got back into the match was largely thanks to James Grady, who had missed a sitter in an awful first half and heard Dundee fans boo him for the first time in his Dens career.

Rather than hide Jamsie came out for the second period and redoubled his already considerable work rate, "I just wanted to get them cheering again" James said later. He got his reward seven minutes into the half when he fired home a rebound from close range after his first effort had been blocked by Woods. The relief from the striker was obvious as he celebrated big style. Unfortunately the referee decided that the 'wee man' had over indulged and showed him a yellow card. Almost straight from the kick off Grady was involved again when former Dee Jamie McGowan took him out of play as he headed for goal. Jamie was last man and had to go for preventing a clear scoring opportunity.

Jamsie was on fire now and from the resultant free kick had the ball in the net for number two, while making sure that his celebration was slightly more muted.

The arrival of substitute Sasa Curcic gave the Dundee fans someone to heckle as a party atmosphere developed in the home areas of the ground, but it all went flat in the 62nd minute when Grady raced into the box and went down when challenged. The cheers for the award of a penalty died in the throats of the Dundee support as the referee Mr McDonald showed a second yellow to Grady for diving and gave a free kick to 'Well.

The visitors tried to push forward and looked dangerous whenever Curcic had the ball but he was being kept in check by the outstanding play of Pat Billio as the match developed into a delight of quick breaking, passing football.

Luna was very much the man who mattered playing alone up front for Dundee and with nine minutes to go he shrugged off a challenge and wriggled into the box before being pulled over just as he was about to tuck the ball home. Motherwell's Steve McMillan had been injured in the lead up play and Billio had to wait some time before taking the kick. During this period the visiting defence spent some time talking to Pat and I'm sure we can take it as read that they were simply wishing him good luck with the kick - if so they got their wish when he lashed it into the top corner.

Dundee weren't finished though and the game wouldn't have been complete without a Luna strike. That came in the 86th minute when Artero and Smith combined before Barry swung in a cross which the star man headed into the corner of the net despite Woods despairing attempt to tip it round the post.

It set the seal on a sizzling second half and sent the Bobby Cox regulars and a packed South Enclosure home happy.

DUNDEE 0
Hearts 0

Att:6,291

Subs:
Artero (for Billio), Wilkie (for Robertson), Annand (for Grady), Bayne, Langfield

A large crowd was inside Dens for the start of todays match and some doubt must be cast over the official attendance of 6,291as there appeared to be about 2000 more than that.

A surprise in the Dundee squad was the omission of Francisco Luna who looked extremely sharp at McDiarmid last week.

Dundee surged forward in the early stages and had the visitors on the back foot for a long period.

It looked ominous for the visitors as Dundee went out with all guns blazing and after just 55 seconds Gordan Petric lost his footing and allowed Willie Falconer a clear run on goal from Hugh Robertson's ball but he blazed wildly wide of the mark.

Falconer then should have scored in the fifth minute when Patrizio Billio's cross into the box had Hearts' goalkeeper Gills Rousset in all kinds of trouble in the air and Thomas Flogel had to clear the striker's header.

James Grady then had two clear cut scoring opportunities
The first in fifteen minutes when he latched onto Falconer's head flick and surged past Pressley, finding himself clean through on goal but could not find the shot that would beat Hearts 'keeper Gilles Rousset who was well placed to make a save.
Little over a minute later he got on the end of Boyack's superb cross only to see his contact with the ball spin agonisingly wide from point blank range.

In the 17th minute Hearts' midfielder Stephen Fulton blocked Steven Tweed's goalbound effort, and then a minute later at the other end Dundee goalkeeper Robert Douglas saved Lee Makle's stinging 25-yard effort.

Hearts saw a good passing move between Colin Cameron and Darren Jackson hand Gary Wales the chance of a goal. Dundee goalkeeper Rob Douglas did well to save the shot to his left.

The visitors almost opened the scoring five minutes before the break. A neat move saw Darren Jackson play an incisive ball to Stephen Fulton who lacked precision and smacked his shot across the face of goal.

The second half was again spattered with chances for both sides. Just five minutes into the second period Dundee had another great chance to take the game by the scruff of the neck. A Boyack cross headed on by Willie Falconer set up Gavin Rae who shot over the bar from just outside the six yard box.

As time ran out the home support got a little nervy - hardly surprising after the last minute counters which have been a feature of Dundee's matches this season but the only shaky moment saw Barry Smith make a great block from Simpon's edge of the box free kick.

New defender Craig Ireland helped his team hang onto a point ten minutes before time. He blocked an ominous looking Colin Cameron effort and then in the final moments got behind a Fitzroy Simpson free-kick which looked to be heading goalward.

Dundee are still in eighth spot in the Scottish Premier League table with 28 points from 28 games. However, the Dee are still looking for their second win at Dens Park this season.

Dundee squandered a number of glorious chances to dent Hearts' European dreams but they produced a display to suggest the dressing room was united behind troubled manager Jocky Scott.

One thing that cannot go un-noted is the diving skills of the Hearts players today - on 3 occassions players went down in theatrical fashion claiming to have been hit in the face. Not once did the referee award a free kick to them , but neither did he book them for diving.

St Johnstone 2 (Bollan 45 Miller 90)
DUNDEE 1(Falconer )

Att:4,655

Subs:
Luna(for Grady) Bayne, Maddison, Langfield, Miller

Dundee had Lee Maddison in the starting line up for the injured Artero and Eddie Annand also came in as the Dees went with the 4-3-3 formation which had turned the game in midweek.

Early on it looked as if the move would bring a dividend as Dundee totally dominated the first quarter of an hour with some lovely passing and good work throughout the team, but as time wore on the game and Dundee's performance got scrappy with St Johnstone beginning to cause occasional problems as they capitalised on some poor passing by the Dark Blues.

If you don't play well then you generally get beaten at this level, but Dundee looked like getting a point against a St Johnstone side which relied to a large extent on a physical approach, until the last last seconds of the match when an eighteen yard bullet, which went in of the bar, gave St Johnstone's Marc Miller a dream debut and gave Dundee a taste of how Hibs had felt in midweek.

Dundee had also lost a goal in the dying seconds of the first half and Jocky Scott will have been raging at the circumstances in which both goals were lost.

Dundee gave away possession on each occasion and although Bollan's strike was even more spectacular than Miller's they could both have been prevented.

At least Dundee had time to come back from Bollan's goal and took only three minutes of play at the start of the second half to get back on level terms when Boyack, Rae and Grady combined for the latter to cross for Falconer to take a touch and then net from close range.

This should have been the signal for Dundee to go on and win the match but if truth be told the home side were the ones who lifted their game from this point onward.

The extra man in midfield told at times as Saints created a couple of good chances, Steven Tweed doing superbly well to block a close range effort from McMahon midway through the half.

The introduction of Francisco Luna for his dark Blue debut brought a mixed reaction from the support who were dismayed to see Grady taken off after perhaps his best performance of the season, but the Spanish striker soon had the fans on his side as he came close with a header from Boyack's free kick.
Luna showed some nice touches and an appetite for the ball which augers well for the future as Dundee gained a series of free kicks and corners but they couldn't trouble the keeper.

Hibernian 1(Paatelainen 26)
DUNDEE 2(Falconer 66 & 90)

Att:10,802

Subs:
Annand(for Sharp) McSkimming(for Robertson Bayne, Wilkie, Langfield

Willie Falconer's first goals of the new Millennium gave Dundee a vital three points at Easter Road.

The club's top scorer struck half way through the second period to equalise Mixu Paatelainen's first half effort and headed the winner deep into injury time to send the four hundred or so travelling support into the night singing and cheering.

It had been an excellent Dundee performance during a second period when some slick passing put pressure on the home defence and a contrast to the first half dominated by Hibs and which had seen Paatelainen prod home Tom Smith's inswinging cross from close range.

In Latapy and Miller Hibernian have quality rarely seen outside the Old Firm and the Trinidad and Tobago International pulled most of the strings for Hibs while Miller's pace troubled Dundee throughout.

His absence from the Scotland squad named today seems bizarre.
A player included in that squad is of course Rab' Douglas and he had to be lively on several occasions during that first half but could only stand and watch as Lehmann came close with his volley rattling clear off the post.

Dundee were disjointed and more passes seemed to be finding a green jersey than a blue one but the introduction of Eddie Annand and a change from 5-3-2 to 4-3-3 for the second half did the trick big time.

Boyack, Robertson and Rae began to press forward in support of the three front men and with new boy Artero turning in a decent performance at right back (and getting forward at times) and Ireland restored to defence Dundee had a more solid look than in previous weeks.

The breakthrough came on 66 minutes when Boyack swung a free kick from wide on the right and thirty yards out onto Falconer's head, from where it was directed into the bottom corner of the net. Dundee had been pressing for some time before the equaliser but it spurred Hibs into action and Miller was unlucky to see his chip spin clear off the bar after Lehmann had sent him clear.

Dundee too had striking power and Grady took on the defence in 77 minutes with a dazzling run before firing in a twenty yarder which Colgan did well to tip behind for a corner.

Three minutes later Craig Ireland had a gilt edged opportunity to net from ten yards but his right foot shot on the turn spun well wide, almost taking out the linesman on the far side!

The miss wasn't quite as costly as it appeared at the time however, as with three minutes over time played Rae and Boyack combined well on the right with the latter curling the ball onto Falconer's head yet again with a predictable yet delightful result.

SAT 4TH MARCH

Kilmarnock 2 (Durrant 10 Dindeleux 65)
DUNDEE 2(Annand 75 Grady 82)

Att:8,500

Subs:
Annand(for Bayne) van Eijs, Maddison, Langfield, Raeside

Jocky Scott refused to call his introduction of Eddie Annand for Graham Bayne in 74 minutes an 'Inspired bit of management' when it was suggested to him in the press room afterwards, but it changed a game which had rarely looked as if it would bring any reward for Dundee up to that point.

Kilmarnock had dominated most of the previous hour and although Dundee had made a bright start the Dark Blues had never looked really dangerous.

Killie's goals showed that the poor defending of the previous week hadn't been totally eradicated with nobody picking up Durrant's run from midfield in ten minutes, allowing the midfielder time to pick his spot from the edge of the box after Holt had played him in. Only a magical save from Douglas ten minutes before half time kept the margin at one when he did wonderfully well to reach Abou's postage stamp corner free kick and even better to hold it.

The margin was doubled midway through the second half when a corner wasn't cleared and Dindeleux flicked home from 12 yards.

Four minutes later Dundee looked dead and buried as Abou slid a ball through to Durrant but as the Scotland international picked his spot the ball bobbled on a surface which resembled 'Tattie Soup' (copyright The Sporting Post) and Sharp got in a challenge to clear.

Young Graham Bayne had looked useful without getting into threatening positions and was replaced by Annand as Jocky threw the dice and it paid off big time with a goal which dragged Dundee back into the match - Eddie had been on the park less than thirty seconds when he was picked out by Willie Falconer and placed his shot into the corner of the Killie net.

Dundee had looked exhausted up to this point after a week which had seen the club battered both on the park and in the media but there was an instant lifting of spirits and the players all began to look as if they thought they could salvage at least a point.

As the game went into the last ten minutes The Dee exerted some concentrated pressure for the first time in the match with the ball camped around the Killie box, Several times it looked as if the moves would break down but Dundee always just about managed to keep the ball moving. In the end it need someone to take a risk and that's exactly what Gavin Rae did when he clipped the ball over the defence and hared after it. Once in the box the Killie defence didn't dare challenge him, but he only just got to the ball before it went out for a goal kick, his cross finding Grady who netted with a diving header for his second goal of the week.

It took a few minutes to dawn that we now had an extremely exciting game on our hands and the home side piled on the pressure with a Durrant piledriver inches away. The closest thing to a goal though was a breakaway forged by Annand and Falconer which went almost the length of the park and ended with Eddie getting on the end of Willie's cross only to see Marshall pull off a great block with his legs.

Celtic 6 (Johnson 18, 31 ,64, Viduka 36, 45(pen), Petrov 43)
DUNDEE 2(Robetson 58 Grady 77)

Att:56,228

Subs:
Maddison (for van Eijs) Bayne(for Annand) Falconer, Langfield, Mair

For the second match in a row Dundee found themselves five goals behind at half time, and facing the prospect of a record SPL defeat. The second half showing by the Dees on this occasion at least restored a little pride as they pulled back a couple of goals and began to defend in a decent manner.

Dundee were under pressure from the off as Celtic pushed forward and the Dees were disadvantaged in nine minutes when Rab' Douglas left the field for stitches after a clash with former Dark Blue Morten Weighorst. Robbie Raeside took the keepers jersey while Douglas was getting attention and survived his seven minutes as custodian without a shot to save. Ironically Douglas had been back on the field for only a couple of minutes when Celtic took the lead Johnson volleying home a McNamara cross.

Dundee were stung into action and had their best spell of the first half in the next twelve minutes pushing forward on a regular basis, although an off target Rae shot was the only strike of any note from the Dees. The spell ended in dramatic fashion as Celtic surged from their own half in 31 minutes to double the score. Moravcik and Viduka being involved before Johnson finished.

From then to the interval it was all Celtic as the Dundee rearguard were ripped apart at will. Viduka added a third before Petrov got on the scoresheet, despite blatantly handling the ball before netting. The injury time added on for the keeper's injury brought more misery as van Eijs brought down Mahe and Viduka made it five from the spot.

With the Celtic support baying for their team to outdo Rangers against Dundee there was a real fear that much more was to follow, but the half time interval took the edge off Celtic and brought some heart to Dundee.

It was evident from the start of the second period that Dundee were better organised and they restricted Celtic to far fewer chances than before the interval. Thirteen minutes into the period Hugh Robertson ignored the call of his strikers for a pass and lashed a thunderbolt past Kharin from 25 yards to reduce the deficit.

This seemed to sting Celtic into action again and Johnson completed his hat-trick in 64 minutes when he latched onto a short back pass before netting.

Dundee stuck to their task, hopeless as it was, and pushed forward whenever possible. They gained their reward in 77 minutes when Grady's neat header from Boyack's cross found the net, leading to bizarre sound of Dundee's support at 6-2 down goading the many departing home fans with a prolonged chant of 'Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio'.

Lee Maddison came on for van Eijs with five minutes to go, making a welcome return to the first team for the Englishman, but that was one of the few bright spots of another awful evening - although the second half did at least show that some hope remains.

DUNDEE 1(Tweed 25)
Rangers 7(Wallace 1, 30, 35, Vidmar 18, Albertz 40, Rozenthal 45, Tweed Og 87)

Att:9297

Subs:
Boyack (for van Eijs) Bayne, Raeside, Annand, Langfield It was a nighmare evening for Dundee and the Dark Blue support as a live TV audience saw them ripped to shreds by a Rangers side in rampant mood. The rout started with just a minute on the clock when Albertz found Wallace in space and the striker hit home the first of a hat-trick.

Dundee competed for the first half hour and James Grady was denied by keeper Klos, who got the slightest of touches to prevent Grady scoring in 18 minutes after the wee hit man had turned Numan and raced clear.

Minutes later Rangers were two up when Vidmar got above three defenders at the near post to head home Kanchelskis' corner.

The Dees hit back and a Robertson free kick in twenty five minutes found Falconer, who's header across the face of the goal was nodded home by Steven Tweed.

Dundee looked dangerous going forward but there were massive gaps in their rearguard and Wallace and the equally impressive Rosenthal were keen to exploit the openings. This pair were involved on the half hour as Wallace got his second from the Chilean's flick.

Five minutes later the roof fell in as Klos' punt upfield was chased by Wallace, who got there before Douglas to lob home for his hat-trick.

An Albertz thunderbolt raked home to make it five in forty minutes and on the stroke of half time Wallace teed up Rosenthal for th sixth.

Rab' Douglas said afterwards that the players were devastated at the interval and in the stands the support were shellshocked.

For a team 6-1 down Dundee got a remarkable rousing ovation from the home support as they took the field after the break, and those who hadn't gone before the interval gave the team a level of support which was amazing throughout the second half.

Damage limitation was obviously the order of the day by now and with Rangers suddenly content to play on cruise control the second period can't have made pretty viewing for the TV audience. It certainly silenced the away support who didn't get their vocal chords going again until Tweed headed into his own net while under pressure from Vidmar from van Bronckhurst's cross on 87 minutes.

James Grady had been one of the few Dees to come out of this match with any credit as he beavered away in impossible circumstances and he deserved better than to be the person who missed Dundee's easiest chance of the evening when he poked the ball wide from inside the six yard box during the closing minutes. Willie Falconer too did little wrong and Lee Sharp held an in form Kanchelskis reasonably in check.

A measure of the effort that Grady put in can be summed up in the fact that it is not often that either of the Old Firm support single out a player for abuse - Jamsie to his credit managed this.

Own final comment to the arseholes who spent their time calling for Jocky to resign - It is times like this that need the fans to get behind the team - if all you are going to shout is for the manager to resign then stay in the pub.

I for one while not agreeing with some of Jockys tactics or decisions dont believe that anyone else could do a better job with the resources on offer. The team need a lift which they always receive from the travelling support - and I can only assume that the Boo-Boys only ever attend the home games.

DUNDEE 1(Bayne 87)
Aberdeen 3(Dow 48, Stavrum 55, Bernard 60)

Att:5,796

Subs:
Bayne (for Grady), Banger (for Robertson), Annand (for Banger), Souter, Sharpe

After a desperately disappointing first half Andy Dow, Arild Stavrum and Paul Bernard all hit the net to score their fifth goals of the season and to win three vital points in their fight for survival, while Dundee got a late consolation through Graham Bayne, who scored his first senior goal for the club.

Aberdeen were dreadful in the opening period and had Dundee taken their chances the Dons would have been in trouble, but Dundee lacked the cutting edge after just one win at home this season.

A claim for a penalty in the 11th minute was turned down when Barry Smith threaded the ball through to James Grady, who nudged the ball past Jim Leighton before going to ground, and to the astonishment of the crowd referee McCurry waved play on. Both sides looked short of ideas as pass after pass went astray and attacks broke down.

Dundee, however, produced the first real move of quality in the 37th minute after Derek Whyte's fumbled clearance went to Willie Falconer, who gave it to Steven Boyack to curl a cross to Gavin Rae, but he could only head over. A minute later Rae blazed over before Robertson found Steven Tweed unmarked at the far post but the Dundee defender headed over when he should have hit the target. Then in the last minute of the half Falconer waved a leg at Rae's cross when six yards out which summed up the first half and Dundee's problems at home this season.

Two minutes after the restart Robertson's shot was swept away by Jamie McAllister and Falconer followed up to blaze wide of the post but Dundee were made to pay for their missed chances.

In the 49th minute Guntveit picked out Dow in the area and the midfielder's left-footed shot appeared to loop off Barry Smith and over James Langfield.

Then a minute later Dundee went for the equaliser but Dow was again the hero as he cleared Falconer's pinpoint header off the goalline.

However, Aberdeen doubled their advantage in the 56th minute when Stavrum swept home Winters' cross.

Dundee tried to hit back immediately and Bayne turned in the box after Boyack's corner but he was unable to keep his effort down.

Dundee were dead and buried in the 60th minute when Bernard fired home after Smith had cleared Stavrum's header off the line.

Dundee almost reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute when Falconer's header from Boyack's cross scraped the upright but that summed up the home side's season at Dens Park.

Then with three minutes to go Dundee got a consolation through Bayne after everyone had left Falconer's tame cross.

In the final minute Dundee defender Willie Miller hit a shot over Leighton but Bernard was on hand to head over the bar and it was too little too late for the home side - while Aberdeen go from strength to strength. Dundee were also denied a 2nd when Leighton scrambled the ball clear when it was clearly (except to referee McCurry) over the line.

What might have been was not helped by another diabolical refereeing display by Mike McCurry.

AYR UNITED 1(Duffy 104) DUNDEE 1(Rae 91)

AET AYR WON 7-6 ON PENALTIES

Att:3029

Subs: Grady (for Bayne 79), Banger (for Boyack 62), Sharp (for McSkimming 119)

Robbie Raeside was in for Craig Ireland and Jamie Langfield for the injured Rab' Douglas as Dundee began this cup replay.

Glynn Hurst had a couple of early efforts for Ayr United but failed to hit the target with a left foot shot and a glancing header. Dundee's first attempt came from Raeside but his header from a corner went wide. Lee Wilkie also got on the end of a corner but put his header over the bar. Ayr began to push forward midway through the half and Langfield did well to get to a Marvin Wilson 25 yarder.

The was a vicious wind swirling around Somerset Park and intermittent snow showers were also a problem for the players and those fans who occupied the uncovered terrace opposite the main stand.

Nicky Banger replaced Steven Boyack early in the second half as the game continued to fail to thrill the crowd.

For the second time in a week the orange ball was introduced as the snow got worse and the pitch turned white.

Conditions put the game in serious doubt as the ninety minutes ended with the players leaving the pitch and the Ayr groundstaff sweepeing the lines.

As the snow continued to fall referee Jim Herald and the teams re-emerged and Dundee took the lead in double quick time. Gavin Rae knocked home a cross from sub James Grady with only 30 seconds of the extra period played for the first goal in 181 minutes of the tie.

Ayr equalised midway through extra time, Neil Duffy heading home following a corner from Gary Teale.

And so the game went to penalties Gavin Rae being the first to have one saved but were level when Roddy Grant then missed. The shoot out was poised at 6-6 with James Grady, Willie Falconer, Lee Sharp, Lee Wilkie, Robbie Raeside and Barry Smith having scored when Nicky Banger saw Craig Nelson save his effort leaving John Robertson to fire home the winner.

DUNDEE 0 CELTIC 3(Mjallby 66,Viduka 69, Healy 82)

Att:10,044

Subs:
Grady (for McSkimming), Sharp (for Robertson), Annand (for Bayne), Langfield, Sharpe

A poor second half performance in which too much space was surrendered to a determined Celtic side saw Dundee become the first side since the winter break to lose to the Glasgow giants.

A completely inneffective display by referee Orr, who continually let Celtic off with repeated fouling and dissent, never more evident than with Boyack about to take a shot on the edge of the 18 yard box, had his standing leg taken from him by Mjallby, a clear foul in full view of everyone - even the players stopped - however Orr waved play on which led to a Celtic break - almost leading to a goal.

Viduka was doing what he does best DIVING IN THE BOX, again referee Orr refused to take any action.

Dundee started well and should have taken the lead in seven minutes when Willie Falconer got on the end of a fine Boyack cross, but the striker swept his right foot shot inches wide of the target. The Dark Blues matched Celtic stride for stride in the opening half hour but as the interval approached the Hoops began to dominate possession although without looking threatening.

This was a pattern which continued in the early part of the second half with Celtic spending long periods on the ball but looking unlikely to break down the Dens back line. Dundee however had begun to lack any attacking options although Falconer and Bayne were working their socks off to try to give an outlet to the midfield. Too often however the teams passing, so good at Motherwell, was poor.

The breakthrough for the Celts came midway through the second half when a curled left wing from Moravcik took a deflection and presented Mjallby with a easy scoring opportunity from six yards. The big Swede's head did the rest.

Up to this point Dundee hadn't really looked like losing but they never looked like coming back from a goal behind and as Celtic's confidence grew they began to dominate completely. The second goal came only three minutes after the opener as Viduka danced along the edge of the 18 yard box before firing low into the corner.

Celtic replaced the ineffective Wright with Burchill as Dundee threw on Grady for McSkimming in a bid to get back into the match. It was the visitors' youngster who made an impression however with his pace always causing the Dundee back line problems.

With eight minutes to go Burchill raced clear of the defence for the second time, having already dragged a shot wide when one on one with Douglas. The keeper had to race out of his box and while he prevented Burchill scoring, the ball broke to Healy 30 yards out who placed the ball into the empty net.

Dundee instantly brought on Annand and Sharp, although there was a delay as Douglas received treatment for a knee knock picked up in the collision with Burchill.

The Dark Blues pushed forward in a bid to get a consolation goal but a fine save by Kharine from Grady's close range shot denied them before Wilkie ang Grady got in each others way, with Wilkie putting the rebound wide.

Make no mistake this was a poor Celtic side who only looked confident once they got the opening goal. They were there for the taking, and with a bit more belief we could and should have taken something from the game. At least unlike the Celtic we are still in the Scottish Cup and a win on Tuesday should lift the spirits.

Motherwell 0
DUNDEE 3 Robertson 49, Rae 65, Grady 90 (pen)

Att 5685

Subs:
Grady (for Bayne 87), van Eijs (for Smith 90), Annand, Langfield, Sharpe

Dundee totally outclassed Motherwell at Fir Park today, coming away with all three points thanks to goals from Shuggie Robertson, Gavin Rae and a late penalty by Jamsie Grady.

The opening exchanges of the first half saw little chances for either side as the Dundee defence were at their best to stop any forward movement by the Motherwell frontmen.

Dundee nearly took the lead in 11 minutes when a Gavin Rae shot from 25 yards had Motherwell keeper Andy Goram diving down to his left to push a ball past for a corner.

In the next attack Dundee midfielder Hugh Robertson latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the box but blazed it over the bar.

Dundee striker Graham Bayne was making his first start for the club and was causing the home side some problems. (Obviously Jocky has been reading the views on this website!)

One cross from the right hand side evaded the Motherwell defence but no Dundee forwards were on hand to capitalise.

The home side was struggling to create any openings and although Lee McCulloch and John Spencer were working hard, they were finding it tough going against a sturdy Dundee defence.

In the 33rd minute Kevin Twaddle found himself clear in the box after a pass from Stephen McMillan had split the Dundee defence but the midfielder's cross was easily intercepted.

Two minutes later John Spencer set up Martin Corrigan but the Motherwell defender blasted the ball over from 16 yards.

With the game desperately in need of a goal it got one early in the second half.

As Dundee pushed forward, Hugh Robertson picked up the ball, and released a 35-yard thunderbolt with his left foot. The out-of-the-blue shot gave Motherwell goalkeeper Andy Goram no chance, as the ball hit the back of the net the large travelling support erupted celebrating the first goal of the year - and what a goal.

Robertson had a good chance to put Falconer through on goal in the next attack but his header fell short and was cleared to safety by Corrigan.

The home crowd became restless and began jeering their team as Dundee began to impose themselves on the game. This was in stark contrast to the travelling support who were continuing to party.

Motherwell brought on Pat Nevin and Don Goodman (his double works in Corfu Kebabs) for McCulloch and Townsley in a bid to get back into the game.

Dundee's joy escalated after good build up play in the middle of the pitch. Intricate passing moves between the players resulted in a timely forward run by Gavin Rae. He positioned himself for a delicate one-two on the edge of the box, placing his shot into the bottom corner of the goal, giving Dundee a fantastic 2-0 advantage.

The side capped a fine performance as the game drew to a close, winning a penalty in the final minute, with James Grady sending Goram the wrong way.

The victory now means Dundee are undefeated in three consecutive games, and have also kept 3 clean sheets into the bargain.

A large travelling support who were behind the team 100% and who never stopped singing from the off - in addition to a team who have found their shooting boots. Tuesday can't come soon enough.

A superb performance all round.

Dundee 0 Ayr United 0

Att 3925

Subs:
Robertson (for Banger 56), Bayne (for Boyack 83), Billio

Dundee were lucky to still be in the Scottish Cup after a display which had the Bobby Cox Stand howling in frustration as the Ayr support cheered on their heroes at the other end of the stadium.

The visitors, with former Dees Dave Rogers and Neil Duffy in their ranks played neat passing football throughout and aided by a gale force wind pushed Dundee back throughout the first half. Always willing to shoot they fired at the home goal at every opportunity, something that the Dundee team seem to have forgotten how to do!, and Rab Douglas had to make one superb save, while being glad that most of the other attempts either sailed wide or were hit straight at him.

Although the shooting was off target I stress the point that it got their support behind them - PLEASE TAKE NOTE JOCKY

Dundee struggled to get into the match in the first half hour, but a fine spell from the previously anonymous Steven Boyack in the fifteen minutes before the interval brought hope as well as reminding the support that he can be a very good player when he gets in the mood (its a pity the mood doesnt last 90 minutes instead of 15 per match). He also needs to learn how to tackle as he seemed to bottle it every time - this I feel is where the midfield needs more dig - This spell also brought some lively work from Nicky Banger, who was only being held in check by a fine performance from Rogers, although Nicky always seemed that he would win out it the long run.

The second period would surely see Dundee pile forward with the wind at their back and at least have some real attempts on goal, or so we thought. The reality however, was somewhat different as Ayr dominated to an even greater extent than during the first half.

Much to the disblief of the Home support (many thinking Jocky has lost the plot), he brought on Hugh Robertson for Nicky Banger - the one player who was making any real effort. A Lee Wilkie goal line clearance was needed after Wilson had teased and tormented the right side of Dundee's back four and just after the hour Reynolds watched in disbelief as Douglas did wonderfully well to keep out his drive.

Eddie Annand had been on the receiving end of abuse from the home end as they showed their frustration at the tactic of pulling the whole team back to defend a corner, but it was he who produced Dundee's only meaningful chance of the afternoon. The striker picked up the ball midway in the visitors half and outpaced the last defender before rounding Nelson and firing towards the goal from an acute angle, only to see Duffy race back to clear.

As the clock ran down the visitors were again on top and the side glad of a replay at the final whistle were Dundee. Although I do not relish the prospect of travelling down to Ayr on a cold February night a week on tuesday, although I know that I will.

3 games into the new Century and Dundee still have to score a goal. It is obvious that Eddie Annand is leaving at the end of the season and that his heart is just not in it. The support is on his back and would like to see Graham Bayne get his chance, lets hope that Jocky listens to the support & lets him start next Saturday at Motherwell.

I also hope that Jocky ceases to use Barry Smith as a full back as he is totally out of position, lets hope that the arrival of David Robertson from Leeds solves the problem.

Dundee 0 Kilmarnock 0

Att 4039

Subs:
Bayne (for Falconer 77), Billio (for Boyack 90), Sharp, Van Eijs, Langfield

In a dull match, at a freezing cold Dens Park this evening neither side managed to break the deadlock in the first 45 minutes and delivered little in the way of goalmouth incident.

Both teams started slowly but it was Kilmarnock who had the first effort at goal. A 6th minute corner broke to Mark Reilly on the edge of the box but he failed to get over the top of it and hence his effort flew tamefully over the bar.

As the game found its rhythm Killie started to play the better football but it was Dundee who had the best chance to score. Killmarnock left themselves short at the back but as Dundee outnumbered the two left at the back Eddie Annand managed to get himself caught off-side and the chance was gone.

As the game looked to be going nowhere it sparked briefly into life just before the interval as Martin Baker's header was cleared off the line and a Cocard free kick was well dealt with by Rob Douglas.

Nicky Banger was sent off for the second time in his short Dens Park career, and must still be wondering what for.

After being booked for handball, He was shown a second yellow card for alleged diving after quite clearly being flattened in the 52nd minute.

Dundee must again be wondering about a conspiracy theory after this second pathetic refereeing performance in the space of 5 days.

The man in charge tonight was JIM FLEMING, Mr Fleming , all I can say is 'What a Wanker!'.

Eddie Annand could have won the game, but despite being clean through, he placed his shot too close to Rugby Park keeper Colin Meldrum.

Praise must go to Lee Wilkie for 2 superb clearances right at the death and Craig Ireland for a superb sliding tackle just as Cocard was about to pull the trigger on the edge of the 6 yard box. Steven Tweed has also regained his confidence and proved the boo-boys wrong with a confident and composed performance.

Hearts 2 (Wales 18, Jackson 50) Dundee 0

Att 13112

Subs:
Bayne (for Grady 37), Banger (for Van Eijs 57), Boyack (for Billio 75), Wilkie, Langfield

Dundee returned to SPL action at Tynecastle and there was a surprise for the fans with Steven Boyack dropped to the bench. James Grady got a start with the absence of Eddie Annand and Shaun McSkimming returned to the starting line up only five weeks after his hernia operation.

Hearts dominated the early stages and Rab Douglas had to pull off two fine stops in the first quarter of an hour, the second of these from Naysmith's close range volley was quite outstanding. The home side took the lead in 17 minutes through Wales after Severin appeared to miscue his powerful header away from goal but nicely into the path of the young striker who knocked the ball home from five yards.

Dundee were not downhearted by this and Shaun McSkimming, returning from a stomach operation, was very unlucky not to equalise.

In the 21st minute Rae charge through midfield and fired a shot against a defender, the ball deflected to McSkimming who unleashed a 25-yard piledriver which had Antii Niemi beaten but the ball crashed off the crossbar to safety.

Dundee were hit by the loss of James Grady in 37 minutes. The striker left the field in a daze after getting a head knock. He was replaced by Graham Bayne.

The start of the second half was delayed as the referee insisted that repairs were made to the goal net guarded by Niemi and once it got under way Dundee pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but it was at the other end that a goal came in truly bizarre circumstances. Barry Smith under pressure from Jackson passed the ball back to Douglas. The ball was bouncing and as the Hearts striker shut the keeper down Douglas tried to clip the ball over his head but succeeded only in presenting Jackson with the easiest headed goal of his career. Douglas was getting pelters from the Hearts fans as the game resumed but minutes later went some way to making up for his mistake with a magnificent save from Severin's scorching drive. At the other end Niemi was lucky to escape the same fate as Rab' when McSkimming charged down his clearance but the ball rebounded wide.

Dundee pushed forward in an attempt to get back into the match but, apart from a superb effort from Barry Smith which saw Niemi pull off a fine save, there wasn't enough inspiration to pull the match out of the fire.

Hearts defended in depth in the closing stages but always looked lively on the break and missed a couple of good chances.

A couple of other points about the match:

A wise decision by Jocky to substitute Billio before he was sent off, as the Italian temprament was getting the better of him.

Superb display from Shaun McSkimming, probably one of his best displays of the season, Barry Smith and Graeme Bayne can also be pleased about their performance.

A woeful performance by the referee, who brings the word 'homer' to mind. The Dundee players became totally frustrated (Billio in particular) at being pulled up every time they attempted a challenge for the ball.

One thing myself and others around me at the game would like to see is that the team get over their fear of actually taking responsibility to have a shot at goal. I am sure that the crowd would get behind the team more if they adopted a shoot on sight policy - lets hope this starts with the game on Wednesday against Killie.

Dundee 1 (Falconer 77) St Johnstone 1 (Lownes 44)

Subs:
Grady (for van Eijs 58), Robertson (for Ireland 89), Slater, Bayne, Langfield

A classic header from Willie Falconer from Barry Smith's cross was a fitting way that the last goal of the 20th Century at Dens should be scored. That goal had the added bonus of bringing Dundee a point from a match in which they only played in fits and starts. Strange feeling getting a draw and we'd almost forgotten what it felt like, this being the first of the season.

It took Dundee a long time to warm up and Saints dominated the first half hour, but without creating much of substance with the notable exception of John McQuillan's 30 yard piledriver which crashed off the top of the bar after quarter of an hour. Dundee had Billio booked after only a minute for a late challenge on O'Halloran and on twenty minutes Garry Bollan was extremely lucky to stay on the park when he felled van Eijs with a two footed challenge.

With 32 minutes gone Dundee had their first real chance as Falconer got on the end of a Boyack cross and directed a powerful downwards header on target only to see Main save well. Two minutes later Main was extremely lucky to get away with an error as he fumbled Boyack's weak twenty yarder into the path of Falconer, Willie's shot from an accute angle rapped off the bar and into the path of Rae at the back post - Gavin will still be wondering how he failed to hit the target from less than six yards. Moments later Rae almost made ammends when his powerful drive from the edge of the box was goal bound until a Saints boot got in the way to defelct the ball for a corner.

Dundee were punished for their failure to take these chances on the stroke of half time when Lowndes pounced to score at the second attempt after a cross from Bollan.

The Dark Blues had to up the tempo after the break and introduced James Grady for the limping van Eijs, with Banger moved out to the left to accomodate the wee hitman. Grady was involved in another good chance in 65 minutes when his knockdown found Boyack in space 15 yards out but the midfielders left foot shot spun over the bar. Three minutes later Grady came close when he headed over Main from Falconer's flick on only to see the ball drop just over.

Willie Falconer finally provided the breakthrough with twelve minutes to go when he got on the end of Barry Smith's excellent cross to direct a pwerful header into the bottom corner. Four minutes later Banger burst into the box and fired an angled drive at goal only to see Main pull off another fine block.

Attendance: 9185

Subs: Banger (for Wilkie 14), Robertson (for McSkimming 72), Grady (for van Eijs 90), Langfield,

A goal from Ferrez with a minute of normal time remaining beat Dundee at Tannadice, the Portuguese striker robbing Steve Tweed on the edge of the Dundee box and charging through to fire home. No matter that up to this point Tweed had been immaculate and that the scorer had been inept, this is the moment that the last derby of the century will be remembered for.

Not that there was much else for the neutral to remember but Dundee could at least have claimed a moral victory until that late winner. Substitute Nicky Banger was by far the most creative player on the field and regularly got past United's full backs, the final ball from the whole Dundee team wasn't good enough however and apart from a Falconer drive which crashed off the crossbar in 67 minutes there were few occasions when either keeper looked like being beaten.

The first half was reasonably even with a Falconer drive from 25 yards (well held by Combe) and a Telesnikov free kick which dipped just over being the only near things. Dundee lost Lee Wilkie to a head knock after 14 minutes and the three man central defence was sacrificed as Nicky Banger came on the give the Dees a 4-3-3 shape.

Dundee came out for the second period in the mood to get at United and for half an hour had the home side pretty well camped in their own half. Banger made the intentions clear after 48 minutes when he picked up a Douglas clearance and lashed a vicious swerving shot towards goal, Combe was at full stretch as he tipped it round the post.

For all Dundee's neat and tidy play at this point there wasn't an end result as crosses from both sides of the park whistled across United area with no takers amongst the Dark Blue forwards.

As the game entered the final quarter both sides began to get sloppy in their passing with more balls finding the opposition than a team mate, by this stage the game had goal less draw written all over it but one mistake was to prove costly.

The three minutes injury time after the goal saw Dundee again camped around United's box and Combe tipped a Falconer drive from the edge of the box over. Big Rab' Douglas raced forward to win a header from the corner but Falconer was again denied as Combe flapped his effort away to give his team a win they in no way deserved.

Rangers 1(Wallace 70)
DUNDEE 2(Ireland 14, Rae 90)

Att 47154

Subs: Robertson(Billio 83), Bayne(Grady 87), Langfield, Sharp, Wilkie

Ref: Michael McCurry

By Ken Gaunt, PA Sport

Gavin Rae ended Rangers' unbeaten record with a sensational winner in stoppage time at Ibrox.

Dundee's Scotland under 21 midfielder took a pass from Steven Boyack on his chest before finding the corner.

It was a moment to savour for Rae and his team-mates, who were seen as lambs to the slaughter.

Rangers went into the game with a splendid UEFA Cup first leg victory against Borussia Dortmund behind them and were unbeaten in 12 league games.

But they looked strangely lethargic here with Jorg Albertz missing a second-half penalty.

Craig Ireland, playing the final match of a loan spell with Dundee, gave the Taysiders a shock lead after 14 minutes.

Manager Jocky Scott is hoping to secure the player on a permanent £50,000 deal from Dunfermline.

And Ireland did his chances of moving into the Premier League no harm at all when he stunned Rangers.

Shaun McSkimming played in a corner from the right and the big centre half was left unmarked at the back post. He steered a powerful header beyond Thomas Myhre and into the corner.

The visitors recovered well after enduring a torrid time before Ireland's goal as the Ibrox side piled on the pressure.

Rangers striker Rod Wallace fired over the top after Craig Moore had cleverly backheeled a corner from Albertz.

Robert Douglas made two saves in quick succession that were right out of the top drawer, blocking Jonatan Johansson's fierce effort before tipping over another blistering shot this time from Lorenzo Amoruso.

Ireland's goal rocked Rangers and Douglas again saved superbly from Johansson after Darius Adamczuk had carved out the opening.

Adamczuk had been hurt in an aerial collision with McSkimming after only two minutes but returned to the field with his head bandaged. But he was clearly struggling and replaced by Tony Vidmar in the 23rd minute.

Rangers had the majority of possession, as expected, but were looking subdued as the rain continued to pour down.

Their supporters screamed for a penalty after 27 minutes when Wallace was floored by Frank van Eijs but referee Mike McCurry waved play on.

Wallace should have pulled Rangers level five minutes before the break but mis-kicked his shot in front of goal after being released by Johansson.

Dundee keeper Douglas prevented Rangers from drawing level when he parried a penalty from Albertz in the 53rd minute.

Steven Tweed was punished for bundling over McCann and despite the defender's protests referee McCurry pointed to the spot.

Albertz, known for the power of shooting, tried to place it but Douglas got down quickly at the post to make a superb block.

Dundee were being forced to backpedal but were winning a lot of 50-50 balls, much to the annoyance of the Rangers fans.

Johansson was working hard up front with little support and beat Douglas with a fine shot after a through ball from Claudio Reyna, only to see it drift wide of the target,

Rangers manager Dick Advocaat then brought on striker Gordon Durie for midfielder Reyna in a bold attempt to get the equaliser.

And they drew level in the 70th minute when Wallace tapped the ball in after McCann's header from an Andrei Kanchelskis cross had rattled the post.

Dundee were being forced to defend in depth as Rangers went for the winner as the game moved close to full time.

The league leaders were out of luck in the 81st minute when Vidmar's goal bound shot was deflected wide by his team-mate Johansson.

Then came that stunning strike from Rae, which sparked a night of wild celebrations in one corner of Dundee at least.

© PA Sporting Life

DUNDEE 0
Motherwell 1 (McCulloch 45)

Att 4340

Subs: Banger (for Falconer) Grady (for van Eijs) Slater, Bayne, Langfield

A dire first half at dens produced little excitement with Boyack's weak shot straight at Woods from Falconer's cross on the half hour being Dundee's only notable attempt. While Motherwell played slightly the better football during this period it wasn't until right on half time that they looked dangerous. First Twaddle crossed for Brannan to rattle a header off the post and moments later Nevin's corner found McCulloch with vast amounts of time lurking on the penalty spot - His shot was always going to be net bound.

Dundee upped the pace after the interval and created a clutch of chances with Banger, Boyack and Annand looking lively. New boy Banger had come on for Falconer with 37 minutes gone and he had the first chance of the second period when he picked up Annand's pass and cut inside before forcing the first of a series of fine saves from Woods.

Dundee had concentrated periods of pressure but 'Well held firm and broke away in 71 minutes to have the best chance of the match, McCulloch was one on one with Douglas and went round the keeper before firing towards goal only to see Barry Smith appear from nowhere to knock the ball clear off the line.

Two minutes later came the save of the match as Woods brilliantly clawed away a Billio piledriver which was heading for the top corner and as Dundee extended the pressure Tweed volleyed narrowly wide.

With eleven minutes to go and Dundee looking likely to grab something from the match Nicky Banger got involved off the ball with a visiting defender and was shown the red card.

Although Dundee still battled away they couldn't find a way through and Motherwell were happy to run the clock down.

A final word should go to the referee, what an inept f***ing performance. If a Dundee player even thought about making a challenge he blew for a foul. Also the 2 minutes injury time was an absolute joke.

DUNDEE 3(van Eijs 48, Banger 52, Grady 78)
Aris Salonika 2 (Georgiadis 17, 59)

Subs: van Eijs (for Tweed) Robertson (for McSkimming) Banger (for Boyack) Wilkie (for Ireland) Matute (for Annand)

Aris supplied Dundee with fine opposition for the match to celebrate the opening of the two new stands at Dens Park. The Greek team passed the ball well throughout the game and provided the game with it's outstanding moment when Georgiadis hit an outstanding free kick for their second goal, but Dundee came from behind to win with a James Grady goal, while there was also delight for new boy Nicky Banger who scored on his debut and Frank van Eijs who got his first goal at dens.

The first half was played very much at 'friendly' pace and it was the visitors who took the lead in 17 minutes, strikers Daniel Lima and Agelos Xaristeas combining well before the latter laid the ball into the path of Georgiadis who fired a low shot home from 12 yards to the delight of the noisy band of fifty or so Aris supporters.

Dundee's new signing Nicky Banger came on as substitute for Boyack after half an hour and began to show some good touches but at this stage it was still Aris who looked more likely to add to the score. The goal scorer and the front men were very impressive as was Marios Christodoulo, who showed good pace down the left hand side.

The second half started with Dundee moving Frank van Eijs into a more central position and this was rewarded with the Dutchman's most impressive performance so far in his spell at Dens. He almost made an immediate impact when his shot came back off the post in the second minute of the half and two minutes later his swirling cross ended up as a goal when it bizarrely got caught between keeper Alexandros and the post - The referee ruling that it had crossed the line.

In fifty two minutes van Eijs slipped the ball to substitute Matute who's first touch after coming on ended at the feet of Banger and the new boy fired home despite a desperate effort at a clearance by Vakirtzis.

Aris again began to come into the game after falling behind and they gained reward in 59 minutes when Georgiadis hit a brilliant free kick from 25 yards which dipped and swerved into the top corner of the net. At this point they looked the more likely winners and Theodoris fired just wide from 20 yards just a minute after the goal.

In 75 minutes Aris had a good claim for a penalty when Koltsidas went down in the box and this seemed to change the game back in Dundee's favour. Banger brought the best out of Alexandros, who saved his powerful 20 yarder at full stretch in 77 minutes. One minute later, however, Dundee were back in front, Robertson slipped the ball to Grady who fired low into the net at the near post for the winner.

St Johnstone 0 DUNDEE 1(Annand 45)

Attendance 4917

Subs: Grady (for Annand) Sharp, Elliot, Bayne, Langfield

An excellent glancing header from Eddie Annand on the half time break and a resolute defensive performance from a Dundee side bolstered by the return of captain Barry Smith ensured that maximum points returned along the Tay from Perth.

Dundee played with neat control throughout the first half, with Billio in particular taking the eye, but had poor finishing from Saints Nathan Lownes to thank for still being level when Eddie struck. The Englishman had missed several half chances even before he beat the offside trap in 25 minutes. Lownes looked surprised as the referee's flag stayed down as he collected Bollan's pass,but after a hesitant moment rushed towards Rab' Douglas' goal with the 'Dee defence trailing some way behind him. The Scotland squad keeper raced out to meet him and made the striker hurry his shot which bounced to safety of Douglas' legs.

Shaun McSkimming picked up a booking as the interval approached for tugging McQuillan's shirt, but was to be somewhat happier moments later when his corner from the right found the head of Annand in a packed area. Eddie's header fairly flew into the top corner to have the large Dundee contingent in the crowd heading for the pies and Bovril with a smile on their faces.

Saints predictably came out for the second half with the intention of upping the pace of the game and they regularly pinned Dundee back throughout the half. Just as regular, however, were the lightning breaks which saw Dundee create several excellent opportunities to extend their lead. Twice Annand might have done better when faced with Main, but the goal scorer was linking up well with Falconer, and Boyack and generally turning in his best performance for quite some time.

The real heroes though, were at the back where Smith, Tweed and Ireland looked rock solid with Douglas turning in a faultless performance behind them.

St Johnstone's one real chance of the half came when they were awarded a soft free kick just outside the box in injury time - With memories of Bollan's strike which cost Dundee two points in the corresponding fixture last year the Dundee support held their breath as he lined up the kick, The wall did it's job though and a massive cheer from the travelling fans signalled that the Perth team's last chance had gone.

DUNDEE 1(Tweed 1)
Hearts 0

Attendance 6018

Subs: Grady (for Sharp), Robertson, Elliot, Slater, Langfield

Steve Tweed's first goal of the season was enough to earn Dundee a home League win for the only time this season. There were only 106 seconds on the clock when the ex-Hibs central defender was on the spot to fire a low shot into the Hearts net. The home side, without five regulars, were forced to draft in new signings Patricio Billio and Craig Ireland, ( a shock inclusion announced an hour before kick off) who is on a month's loan from Dunfermline.

The home side went ahead right at the start and were forced to hang on for the remaining 88 minutes but the new men cleared their paths in a most unexpected but very welcome victory. Even before the goal Dundee saw Willie Falconer's header hit the bar and Eddie Annand's attempt from the rebound hit the post before Falconer's shot was deflected for a corner. Steven Boyack swung this over and Ireland headed down for Tweed to send a 12-yarder into the net and get Dundee off to a dream start.

One minute later it could have been all square when Gary Wales saw his 16-yard lob go just over the bar and end up on the roof of the net. Hearts fought very hard to equalise in the 16th minute when skipper Colin Cameron fired in an overhead kick which produced the save of the match from Robert Douglas. Another 60 seconds and it was Dundee's turn to curse their luck when Gavin Rae got to the byline and cut the ball back only for Steven Pressley to produce a clearance near his own goal line.

McSwegan had a chance in the 28th minute after Steve Fulton and Gary Naysmith carved open the home defence but the striker fired a weak shot past the post from 15 yards. Hearts came closer when Cameron played the ball through to Fulton and his fierce, angled effort was diverted across goal by Douglas and Frank Van Eijs cleared for a corner. Another ball from Fulton gave McSwegan a simple chance but he took too long and Ireland was able to clear. As half-time approached Ireland was up field to supply the ball for Falconer to hit a shot on the turn which went straight to Gilles Rousset and on the stroke of half-time goal hero Tweed was booked for a foul on McSwegan.

The second half was a continuation of the first and although they had loads of pressure, misses by McSwegan, Cameron and substitute Juanjo meant that the home side would grab their first win of the season although they had two men booked - Boyack and Van Eijs both being shown the yellow card.

As time ran out Dundee began to defend too deep which led to Jocky screaming at the defence and midfield to push up more. The final ten minutes were agony as Hearts piled forward but roared on by the magificent support from the Bobby Cox stand Dundee held out for three vital points, and that first home league win in front of the new stands.

Hibs 5 (Miller 30, Latapy 40, 77 Sauzee 62 Lehmann 90)
DUNDEE 2 (Matute 5,Falconer 73)

Attendance 10160

Subs: Slater (for Miller 32), Annand (for Matute 45), Elliot (for van Eijs 70), McSkimming, Langfield

Jocky Scott made changes, some forced and others tactical for the visit to Easter Road with Roberto Matute making his first start and Hugh Robertson and Frank van Eijs added to the midfield. The changes made little difference to the level of performance, however, with Dundee under the cosh from the first whistle. It took five minutes before a Dundee player had the ball under control in the Hibs half by which time the home side had missed three clear cut chances. But that first forray upfield had a more productive result for Dundee, when Falconer took advantage of a slip from Dempsie to get on the end of Sharp's punted free kick. The ball fell to Willie's right foot and he poked it past the keeper where Matute made sure it went into the back of the net.

Straight away Hibs layed siege to the Dundee goal and it was some surprise that it took the home team until the last half hour to equalise Kenny Miller playing a 1-2 with McGinlay and shooting low past Douglas. The loss of Willie Miller came as a blow two minutes after the Hibs goal when he pulled up with a recurrence of his muscle injury. Lee Wilkie was booked soon afterwards for a tackle on the goal scorer and Lee Sharp followed him into the book for an over enthusiastic challenge in 41 minutes. By then Dundee were behind with Latapy firing home after Jack had picked him out.

Hibs had totally dominated the first half and Dundee resumed with Annand on for Matute, who'd picked up a knock when colliding with the Hibs keeper. Dundee had rather more of the game after the interval but it was the home side who extended their lead after Wilkie had been penalised for climbing just outside the box, Sauzee firing the free kick low into the corner. John Elliot got a first outing of the season when he replaced van Eijs with 20 minutes left and Dundee got back into the game three minutes later, Rae did well to rob Latapy and charged forward to release Falconer who fired a low shot into the near corner.

For a brief period Dundee pressed but Latapy made up for his involvement in the Dark Blues' second when he jinked along the edge of the Dundee box in 77 minutes before firing a fine left foot shot home to send a large section of the visiting support heading towards the exits. Eddie Annand became the third Dee booked with eleven minutes to go for mouthing off to the linesman but worse was to come as with the game in injury time Wilkie mistimed a tackle on McGinlay and received a second yellow (and subsequent red) card. The final blow came when from the subsequent free kick Lehmann poked the ball home from close range to give Hibs a nap hand.

Dundee 0
Dundee Utd 2 (Dodds, Thompson)

Attendance 9460

Subs: Robertson (for Maddison) Matute (For Annand) Coyne (for Grady) Slater Langfield

Dundee turned in easily their worst performance in a derby since promotion to the SPL in front of the SKY cameras. United took quarter of an hour to take the lead. Jocky Scott said afterwards that the game was won and lost in that period and he's correct - Dundee had a flurry of attacks and Alan Combe had to pull off a good save from Falconer just before the break.

Long before Dundee got, briefly, into the match United had taken the lead through Billy Dodds, he had time and space to pick his spot from fifteen yards after Dundee's makeshift defence had been totally torn apart. Dodds' performance was described by his manager after the match as "quite majestic" and he was certainly streets ahead of anything Dundee had to offer. He wasn't the only one to perform better than Dundee's players on a night when few in Dark Blue could hold their heads high.

When Steven Thompson was sent clear by Dodds in the second period and fired the ball under Rab' Douglas' body it was all over as far as any hopes of getting a result were concerned and the silence from the Bobby Cox Stand told it's own story. Dundee gave the fans nothing to shout about thereafter although they huffed and puffed without ever looking likely to get back into the game.

This was the match that proved just how much the squad is lacking in depth and new signings are required. Also why not recall Stephen Milne from his loan spell at Forfar, after scoring 7 goals in 3 games surely he deserves a chance.>