Berwick Rangers 0
Dundee 1
League (First Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Sporting Post.

Les Barr and George McGeachie are both fit to turn out for Dundee against Ber wick and the side is unchanged.

Managerless Berwick take a gamble by playing defender Dave Moyes as a striker and promote Steve Dixon from the reserves.

Berwick show real aggres sion from the start and Tait sends one shot wide and gets in a second which lacks power. First time Dundee move up they score a goal in three minutes.

The move starts with a free kick and Fraser puts the ball forward. Murphy crosses first time and SINCLAIR is on the right spot to send the glancing header into the far corner of the net with Ernie McGarr unable to do much about it.

The success gives Dundee bags of confidence and McGarr holds a high cross from Barr when any slip would be fatal.

The home side looks sharp up front but is a bit disorganised at the back due to the absence of Gordon Hamilton, who is ill.

PANDEMONIUM

McCann is pushed off the ball 22 yards out and there is pandemonium in the Dundee goal area as the ball bobs around. Glennie eases the pressure by heading the ball over the crossbar.

Crossfield passes from Fraser to Murphy produce promising moves for Dundee. From one, Williamson shot straight at the 'keeper and another makes an opening for McKimmie.

MCCANN HURT.

In 20 minutes Berwick's McCann goes off hurt and is replaced by Marshall, who wears the No. 13 jersey, so long favoured by ex-player manager Dave Smith.

In 24 minutes there is almost a second for Dundee. A free kick from Fraser is headed in by Fleming and hits the inside of the post.

The ball rolls along the line and McGarr is able to turn and grab it before a Dundee man can follow up.

DETERMINED.

Romaines, who works his way through in determined style, then ruins the move by sending left-foot a shot wide.

Gordon Smith gets into all sorts of trouble when he decides to hold on to the ball on the edge of his own penalty box. He perseveres and eventually manages to clear and sort out a difficult situation.

Fleming latches on to a Fraser throw-in, beats a couple of men neatly and crashes his shot into the side net.

CARRIED OFF.

Play is stopped In 33 minutes so Egan can get attention. Eventually the winger is carried off and ex Raith Rover Duncan makes his debut. Berwick are almost level a minute later when Geddes fails to win the ball and just manages to push Smith's header past the post.

Duncan starts a move on the right and is in the middle to line up a shot from 12 yards. He doesn't connect properly and the ball flies wide.

A Duncan corner which almost swings into a far corner is headed away by McGeachie, and when Dundee race downfield, Sinclair heads a Murphy cross. It looks winner until a McGarr punches it against the bar.

Half-time Berwick - Rangers 0, Dundee 1.

Reflections - Berwick, despite all their setbacks, are making a real game of this, and an entertaining encounter it is. Dundee struck early and then were unlucky when Fleming's header did not go in, and again when McGarr defied Sinclair,

SECOND HALF.

Duncan hits out widely at a cross ball and sends the ball high over the top. A cross from Davidson bounces off the face of the bar and another Davidson shot goes wide.

A free kick by Cammy Fraser 25 yards out produces nothing for Dundee. But a high ball from the left by the ex-Hearts man almost does. Sinclair meets the cross at the far post and his header bounces on top of the bar. Murphy just fails to connect with another of Fraser's crosses.

NEAR THING.

Davidson gets bags of room to move in on the Dundee goal and his shot from 20 yards is not far off target.

Smith hits another from the same range, which is also a yard wide.

Dundee send on Shirra for McGeachie after 57 minutes and the newcomer takes a large part in an excellent move which results in the ball reaching Sinclair on the edge of the box. The big striker does not control the ball and it runs on to a defender.

GEDDES SAVE.

Romaines sticks ball a through the middle and Geddes has to dive at Smith's feet to save a dangerous situation.

Smith goes through on his own next time to cause more trouble for the Dundee d fence before being dispossessed.

Smith turns quickly to fire in a left-foot shot and finds. Geddes in perfect position to hold the ball.

Dundee send on Mackie for Fleming in 70 minutes in an attempt to change the pattern. The move almost produces an immediate dividend. Mackie sends Murphy off on the right and a cross goes to Williamson, whose shot hits the 'keeper and goes past.

With 10 minutes left Sinclair is booked after a foul on McGarr as the pair go for a Fraser free kick. A minute later Smith is booked for a foul on Fraser.

Summing Up - This was Dundee's first away win in the league and stretched their run of games without a defeat to nine.

They had to work for the points against the lively and sometimes unlucky Rangers.

The Dens Parkers did not manage to increase their early lead, though the woodwork thwarted some of their best efforts.