Hamilton Academical 3
Dundee 1
League Cup (Quarter Final 1st Leg)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier.

A superlative goal from Hamilton's Jamie Fairlie seven minutes from time left Dundee with a mountain to climb if they are to reach the League Cup semi-final.

Straight from the kick-off, a Les Barr pass-back typified Dundee's attitude.

Tommy Gemmell's men had come to defend, but were shocked when the first division side took the lead after 19 minutes.

Frew and Fairlie combined on a free kick on the right and from the full-back's cross, Howie got the final touch to send the ball trickling past a bemused Ally Donaldson.

Indeed, the Taysiders might have gone two behind seven minutes later when veteran Bobby Graham headed a Grant corner onto a post with the Dundee defence out to lunch.

The match was strongly contested by both sides as testified by the booking of Kellachan and Millar as early as the 7th minute, following a dispute over a throw in.

The Dens Parkers were fortunate not to have conceded a penalty when Hamilton's skipper Graham went down after a robust challenge from Caldwell. Not that the visitors were completely supressed during the first half. Eric Sinclair went close in the 10th minute, collecting a Millar pass before shooting narrowly wide from the edge of the area.

Minutes later Jim Shirra forced a spectacular save from Ferguson with a long range drive.

Unfortunately for Dundee, their best chance fell on the stroke of half time to Peter Millar when he shot wide from a good position following a fine three man move.

Jim Murphy was introduced in place of McGeachie on the restart.

In the 51st minute Dundee equalised. Pirie won a corner on the right, which was taken by Shirra.

His perfectly flighted cross was backheaded by McLaren to Eric Sinclair, who nodded home from six yards. Murphy had a scintillating run leaving three defenders in his wake before crossing for Pirie whose header shaved Ferguson's left hand post.

Then, completely against the run of play, Accies regained the lead in the 57th minute.

McCulloch picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and slipped it to Jamie Fairlie, who coolly slotted it past Donaldson from 12 yards.

Bobby Glennie replaced Turnbull in the 63rd minute in an effort to revitalise a flagging Dundee side.

Glennie had barely touched the ball when the Dens Parkers had another narrow escape. Brian Wright shot home at the second attempt but the goal was disallowed when another Accies player was adjudged to be offside.

Alex Caldwell became the third player to be booked after a wild lunge on Fairlie.

Murphy almost levelled the scores on the 75 minute mark, capping another fine run with a shot which was brilliantly tipped over by Ferguson.

McManus replaced Grant in the 83rd minute and with his first touch crossed for Graham to head on to dangerman Fairlie, who lashed an unsaveable shot past Donaldson from 25 yards. McGrogan came on for Howie immediately afterwards.