Partick Thistle 3
Dundee 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Sporting Post.

It was a sombre Sabbath for Dundee at Firhill yesterday as they took another big step nearer relegation. Mathematically nothing was settled yesterday except that neighbours Dundee United are 100% safe!

Realistically, the Dens Parkers now have little chance of staying in the Premier League unless they achieve a few minor miracles, including a double defeat of Celtic, in their last fixtures.

Sadly, that kind of form was never evident at Firhill where too many Dundee players performed like doomed men. Even Ally Donaldson, after a long, hard and brilliant season, had a slip-up as well as some super saves.

Tommy Gemmell made no excuses: "We never really competed," he said bitterly. "Even when playing badly the players have always fought. Not today."

Yes, on this evidence the Dens confidence has gone, though typically it was a bad break that led to the first goal and helped to destroy that confidence.

It came in only nine minutes when a powerful Colin McAdam header hit Peter Millar and went into the opposite corner of the net leaving Donaldson helpless.

Big McAdam and the even bigger Tony Higgins went on to hammer the frail Dens defence relentlessly for the rest of the first half.

Donaldson beat down another shot from McAdam, made a fantastic save from Park, but in 35 minutes was beaten again by Melrose. He ran onto a McAdam pass and shot from 20 yards, the ball bouncing under Ally's diving body.

Soon after, Higgins saw Shirra clear his first effort off the line, and the second rebound off the top of the bar.

Dundee brought on Corrigan for Murphy at the start of the second period but went 3-0 down in 56 minutes.

There was a tremendous skirmish in the Dens goal area with McGeachie clearing off the line. The ball eventually reached McDonald and the winger's shot trundled into the corner of the net from 18 yards with Donaldson seeming to see the ball too late.

Dundee kept plugging away and I thought they might have got a penalty when Campbell handled. young. Ferguson had a good effort, Rough tipping over his shot.

But the game was won and lost by, then. Donaldson prevented number four going in with a fine save from a Campbell shot.