Stranraer 2
Dundee 9
Scottish Cup (4th Round)

Match Report

Dundee start as they mean to go on with two free kicks in the first five minutes. Duncan manages to turn the first one from Johnstone goalward, but his header lacks power and presents no problem for keeper Whiteside, who was about to have one of the worst games of his life.

The second free kick, again from Johnstone, was much more trouble for the keeper and he was lucky to hold onto it.

Dundee score their first of what is to be many goals in the seventh minute. Jimmy Wilson weathers a McAuley tackle at the edge of the box and crosses to Duncan. He heads back to Gordon Wallace, who proceeds to crash an angled shot into the net.

The home penalty box suffers onslaught after onslaught but Stranraer survive a host of Dundee attacking moves and one or two strange referring decisions. There's a very near off-side decision against Gordon Wallace and a handling offence in the box by Heap when he falls on the ball, which the referee apparently misses.

Johnstone beats three defenders, crosses a low, fast ball, which the keeper holds. Jocky Scott is fouled on the edge of the box, but his free kick goes over the bar.

Then, in 19 minutes, Stair Park goes wild! Stranraer equalise through Campbell

Alan dives at the big man's feat, but misses the ball The forward sonds the ball rolling towards the empty net as Stewart comes in to intercept. But he gets in a fankle and also misses.

Dundee are slightly anxious now. Surely they aren't going to get knocked out of the cup by Stranraert They needn't have worried, though. Skipper Houston puts them in front again with a good goal.

Connecting with a Bobby Wilson pass, he sends a searing 25-yard left foot shot into the net. Whiteside is reduced to the role of spectator and maybe now is beginning to get an inkling of more horrors to come. Jocky Scott shows his magic footwork before looping a right-foot shot over the bar. Then Duncan side foots a low bail from Johnstone over the top as Dundee take charge of the match.

They make the score 4-1 with two goals in a minute. In the 40th minute, Jocky Scott jinks past the right side of the home defence, draws the keeper aff his line and. pushes the ball in front of Duncan, who has the simple task of shoving it into the empty not.

Jocky again sets up another when he takes the ball from a defender, slides it to Wallace, who sends it into the net with Whiteside stranded and wishing it was time to go home.

While the fans are still trying to keep track of the score, Dundee almost make it five when Anderson connects with yet another of Jocky's passes. This time, Whiteside pushes it over the bar.

The half-time whistle comes as a blessed relief to Stranraer- but worse was still to come in the next 45 minutes!

They start off well enough and show some clever moves, with a Traynor shot dipping over the bar. But after a few minutes, Dundee take charge again with a variety of comer kicks which bring Stranraer under sustained pressure.

Jocky has the ball in the back of the net, but it's declared offside. Then Anderson does a Wes Saunders as he kick the ball out of play and into the car park.

Dundee are really getting into their stride now, with Jocky Scott in particular showing some superstar touches.

In 62 minutes, the home side send on Hay for Murray. They force a couple of comers but neither comes to anything.

In the 66th minutes Wallace scores his hat-trick from another move engineered by- who else-Jocky Scott. The final pass from Houston finds Wallace unmarked the left-and he takes full advantage.

Dundee appear to be coasting along now and then - Collings strikes for Stranraer. In 67 minutes, an across the-ball goal by Dundee defender is out of Allan's reach and the home skipper says thank you very much and prods the ball into the unguarded net.

In 71 minutes, Wallace is taken off and replaced by lan Scott. Within a minute, Dundee are four up once more as Duncan scores his 30th goal of the season.

It's like shooting fish in a barrel after that and Dundee's second hat-trick comes in the 79th minutes when Johnstone and lan Scott set things up on the left for Duncan to slot home Scott's cross from close range. The goal rush is on and in 81 minutes, lan Scott knocks in the rebound after a Jocky Scott cross comes back off the bar.

That man Duncan becomes top scorer in 84 minutes when he scores from what might be construed as an offside position. The goal stands, though, and the small group of Dundee fans who made the trek to Stranraer start chanting. "We want ten!"

Much to Stranraer and Whiteside's relief, they don't get their wish and the final whistle goes with the score standing at Stranraer 2 Dundee 9.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme