St Johnstone 0
Dundee 3
League Cup (Group 3)

Match Report

Dundee got the win they so desperately wanted to set up a decider in their final game against Aberdeen at Dens on November 30. But at foggy Muirton last night the only thing missing from a totally farcical second half was Brian Rix.

There is no doubt in my mind that the fog lurking around Muirton from the start and which enveloped the ground and the pitch for almost the entire second half should have caused the game to be abandoned.

But the referee, after consulting his linesmen after 10 minutes of the second half, had decided the game should go on. It did, with players appearing in and out of the gloom like ghosts.

The game itself ended in controversy when Saints Stewart Beedie was ordered off in the dying seconds for an offence which I have yet to verify.

For most of the second half the ice rink end of the pitch was totally fog-bound and nothing could be seen.

At the other end of the ground it was slightly better and good enough to see both Dundee's second-half goals-but only just.

Roy Baines, making his second appearance for St Johnstone, was the first goalkeeper in action when he got down quickly to a Fraser shot after a good move down Dundee's right flank.

A Beedie 25-yarder straight at goalkeeper Bobby Geddes was Saints' reply as both teams struggled to keep their feet on a greasy pitch, with fog lurking around the ground.

But in 13 minutes Dundee took the lead with a fine goal from Ian Ferguson when he rose to a McKimmie cross and directed the ball into the corner of the net, giving Baines no chance.

Brogan replied for Saints with a 25-yard shot which presented little problem for Geddes.

The pitch continued to dis- comfort both sides, who were finding it difficult to make accurate passes.

With 25 minutes gone Rutherford was booked for a foul on McCall.

In 35 minutes Rutherford, one of the few players who seemed able to keep his composure and pass the ball accurately, hit a long-range shot which was too high to cause Geddes any discomfort.

Saints had claims for a penalty ignored after 40 minutes when McKimmie downed Morton inside the box.

Just before the interval a Ferguson cross from the right caused St Johnstone some concern, but Geddes's shot was cleared for a corner.

Just on the whistle Bobby Geddes had to save a snap shot from Pelosi. Things looked ominous on the resumption, with the fog gathering on the pitch.

Three minutes after the start Baines had to get down quickly to keep out a low shot from Geddes.

It was difficult to distinguish the players at the top end but good enough at the other end to see a Geddes shot hit the side net from a Mackie cross.

Two minutes later it took two attempts by Saints keeper Baines to keep out a McCall shot.

With 55 minutes played and conditions farcical, the game was held up for several minutes as the referee consulted both his linesmen. Surprisingly, he decided to carry on.

Baines had another good save from a McCall header.

In 64 minutes Dundee sent on Albert Kidd for Andy Geddes, and Baines produced another good save from McCall.

Conditions were so bad that only a roar from the crowd at the rink end indicated Saints must have come close to scoring.

With 15 minutes left of this total farce McCall put Dundee two up when he side-footed the ball into the net from a Ferguson pass-and I was delighted to see something happen in this half.

St Johnstone had a good spell of pressure around the Dundee goalmouth and several shouts again suggested that there was danger to the Dundee goal.

With five minutes to go a long clearance from keeper Geddes eluded centre-half Kennedy and Ferguson lobbed the goalkeeper for his second goal and put his side three in front.

Immediately after this Dundee sent on McGlashan for Mackie.

The farce came to its only logical conclusion, it seemed, when Saints' Stewart Beedie was ordered off, presumably for a foul but no one was able to see the other player in the incident.

The second half, I have to repeat, was a farce all the way through and an injustice to the 2458 who paid their way into the ground expecting to see a game of football.

Mr Lamond didn't mince his words after the final whistle.

"St Johnstone apologise to the fans that the officials saw fit to keep the game going," he said.

"I came down from the stand to the players' tunnel because I couldn't see across the park. I feel sorry for the supporters, as 2458 people saw only half a game.

"I'm not worried about the result. It's the spectators I feel for. We're trying to attract people back to football and here they had to put up with trying to watch a match in farcical conditions."

"The most important thing to me was the fact that my captain, Stuart Beedie, was sent off and I don't know what for," said Alex. Rennie. "Now I won't have him for Saturday's game against Dundee United.

"I can't judge the incident as I didn't see it, but it's ridiculous when you can't see an incident which resulted in a sending-off," said Alex.

Dundee manager Donald Mackay said it appeared Beedie elbowed Colin McGlashan in the face.

Donald Mackay summed up, "The referee is the sole judge. It's like unplayable pitches. He decides whether or not the game goes on."

Match report written by The Courier