Dundee 2
Partick Thistle 0
League (Division One)

Match Report

fter resting some of the first team against Annan in the Alba Cup Jocky Scott reverted to a more familiar line up for the visit of leaders Partick Thistle. The sole change from the team that started the last league game was Richie Hart coming in for Craig Forsyth.

On Friday Leigh Griffiths was named the Irn-Bru Phenomenal young player of the month for September, and after three minutes he showed just what a talent he has. Eddie Malone played in a free kick from the left. Sean Higgins challenged for the ball with John Robertson of Partick. Neither got a good touch with the ball glancing off the top of the defender's head. Griffiths had meanwhile ghosted into space beyond the far post. He controlled the ball and shot in an instant, the ball fizzing across the keeper and just inside the post before the defence could react. It was a great piece of striking skill; phenomenal indeed!

To their credit Partick reacted well to their bad start, and started to play the ball around neatly in midfield. Dundee, however, looked more dangerous with less of the ball and Griffiths came close to a second when he blazed a shot just over after good passing between Hart and Higgins. He then skinned Paton with a great turn, but saw Thistle keeper Tuffey save his shot from a tight angle when he maybe should have crossed.

Gradually the visitors turned good possession into dangerous attacks and the Dundee defence was wobbling towards the end of the first half. In midfield Dundee were struggling to hold possession and unable to stop Partick dictating play. Thistle really should have grabbed an equaliser, but a mixture of bad finishing and bad luck thwarted them.

Just after the half hour Cowan left a through ball for Bullock who didn't come out quickly enough for it. Buchanan nipped in to take the ball, but was forced wide and his cut back triggered a scramble which Dundee were happy to survive. Dundee's last chance of the first half was passed up on 41 minutes when Higgins was set free on the left, but couldn't find Griffiths with his cutback.

Right on the whistle Partick looked sure to get the equaliser their play merited. Donnelly turned on the penalty spot and hit a fierce shot which crashed down off the underside of the bar and was cleared.

There were a few disgruntled boos from the home fans as the teams left the pitch at half time, but the travelling Thistle supporters applauded their side, obviously feeling that they had every chance of overhauling a disjointed Dundee side in the second half.

Their confidence lasted only two minutes after the restart. Harkins controlled a bouncing ball just outside the area, glided past a defender and placed a precise left footed shot across Tuffey and just inside the far post. What a sickener that must have been for the Jags! Just as they were looking to dominate the match and grab an equaliser their former favourite conjured up a piece of delightful skill to score a goal out of nothing!

The pattern of the first half was repeated, however, with Dundee unable to build on their lead and take control of the game. Nevertheless, there was clearly more organisation and determination, and if the Dees couldn't turn on the style, they were doing their best to make sure

Partick couldn't knock the ball around as they wanted.

On the hour mark we saw great keeping at either end when first Tuffey and then Bullock made saves that had a massive impact on the game. Harkins sent Griffiths clear wide on the right. Sparky tried to dribble round the keeper who made a great save to grab the ball. At the other end Corcoran beat Kerr easily on the left and cut the ball back to substitute Erskine who had time to pick his spot from 8 yards. He met the ball perfectly but was aghast when Tony Bullock pulled off a magnificent save to turn the ball round the post.

Bullock was on fine form a few minutes later when he saved well from Rowson's 20 yard rocket, but excelled his previous efforts on 82 minutes when he made an astonishing reaction save from Donnelly's close range header. This was a save that he had no right to make, and it stunned the fans in the Bobby Cox Stand behind his goal. The Dees were singing his praises for these saves and quite right too!

Jocky had meanwhile taken off the tiring strikers and sent on McMenamin and Clarke for the last 15 minutes. After the last of Bully's brilliant blocks the dark blues were able to see out the final minutes comfortably, but it is a measure of the respect they held for Thistle that they took the ball into the corners at the death rather than go for a third goal.

This was one of these days when the result was far better than the performance. We really didn't click in midfield, but the players stuck to the task and gave everything for the cause to make sure the points stayed at Dens. The defence had some shaky moments in the first half, but looked solid in the second. Again, David Cowan was excellent and he won the sponsors Man of the Match award. My choice would have been Tony Bullock, however, who clinched it with that amazing late save from Donnelly.

Thistle will be very disappointed that they lost a game they controlled for long spells, but they were beaten by a lot of grit and a couple of flashes of top quality.

Ultimately it was Dundee's big summer signings who clinched it for the Dees; Griffiths, Harkins and Bullock Bullock a big signing? You'd better believe it! He must have seemed absolutely ENORMOUS to the Jags every time the goal was in their sights!

You just can't beat a bit of Bully

Match report written by James Christie - Official Dundee website