East Stirlingshire 0
Dundee 2
League (First Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Sporting Post .

After two days in bed with flu, Ray Stephen is left out of the Dundee side against East Stirling. Jimmy Murphy takes his place.

Jim Shirra, who came on for Billy Williamson last week, keeps his place. Williamson is joined on the bench by lan Ferguson.

Jim Shirra plays in a jersey without a number, but he should be well known to his home town crowd.

Fraser takes a free quickly. The ball is aimed for Sinclair's head, but Rennie heads clear.

When Ashwood takes the first corner there are Dundee defenders on both posts to prevent a repeat of their cup final disasters.

Murphy takes a corner for Dundee a short one to Fraser. The ball goes to Sinclair, whose header lacks power.

McCulley sends a free across goal. Blair's header looks destined for the corner of the net, but the ball strikes Mackie and goes wide.

Mackie then makes a fine run on the right, beats a defender neatly then crosses behind Sinclair and Murphy. A ball from Murphy to Fraser is despatched quickly into the goal area. It is just too high for Sinclair and eludes Murphy too.

Shire's big defenders are keeping their eyes on the ball and are giving the Dundee side little chance to create near goal.

Grant, on the right, hits low shot which runs a across goal.

Murphy sends in a low, fierce shot wich 'keeper Kelly can only punch out. Mackie can't get a touch. The ball goes to Fraser whose shot is off target.

Shirra is glad to send the ball back to his own goal, when Brown puts the defence under pressure with a good cross.

'Shire claim a penalty when Grant is brought down. A foul by Fraser on Brown gives Ashwood a chance to cross to the far post where Lamont has been allowed bags of space. The home man lacks the height.

The home side miss a good chance in 31 minutes. A corner from the right is punched out by Bobby Geddes, but Brown steps up to hit a tremendous shot which touches the bar and goes over.

Mackie puts a cross behind the home defence for Sinclair to run on to. The forward, uncertain whether he should use foot or head, hurls himself at the ball at the penalty spot and misses completely!

Brown pushes ball a through to Ashwood, who slips and misses his kick with a clear view of the goal.

Andy Geddes is showing well in the middle for Dun dee and is always on the lookout for a shooting chance. One of his efforts from 25 yards is only a couple of feet high.

A Fraser shot is blocked by keeper Kelly and the ball goes to Sinclair whose shot hits Gourlay. There's a confident penalty claim, but the ref indicates the ball has hit a defender on the chest.

Half-time East Stirling 0, Dundee 0.

Reflections Dundee have had more of the play, but Shire have created the better chances.

Sinclair launches himself at a Murphy cross, but big Ian Rennie gets to the ball first. Sinclair wins the jump for a Fraser cross, but can only steer the ball wide.

Sinclair and Murphy do well out on the left, but Sinclair does not get the chance to shoot because Rennie is fast enough to send the ball for a corner. Lamont lays things neatly on for Brown on the edge of the penalty area. Only a timely tackle by Schaedler saves the day.

Things are just as close at the other end, where Rennie heads a Shirra shot off the line.

Dundee go in front in 58 minutes. Fraser crosses and for once the ball eludes the defenders and MURPHY dives to head the ball into the net when it is only a couple of feet off the ground.

Andy Geddes almost gets his first goal for the club a couple of minutes lated with a fierce shot which comes back off the post.

The home side send on McCaig for Brown in 64 minutes.

The first goal for ANDY GEDDES comes in 68 minutes. The new boy picks up a clearance from 25 yards and hits a low shot into the corner of the net which 'keeper Kelly has no chance of stopping.

Shire replace Gourlay with Sharp. Ashwood streaks down the left and crosses a fine ball which Grant touches wide from only a few yards.

McCaig runs almost the length of the park before he is stopped on the edge of the box by a determined Glennie tackle.

Two minutes from the end, 'keeper Kelly is booked for throwing the ball at Sinclair after he is fouled by the Dundee man.

Reflections: Thirteen league games defeat for the without Dens Parkers and 24 points gathered during the fine run. Andy Geddes's shooting and passing was the feature of the game. 'Shire did well in the first half, but faded before the Dundee pressure in the second.