Dundee 3
St Mirren 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from Steve Bruce - The Courier .

Fears that Dundee striker Graham Harvey sustained a fractured skull scoring his side's first goal in their 3-1 win over St Mirren have proved unfounded.

The 24-year-old former Hibs attacker was kept in Dundee Royal Infirmary on Saturday night, but the injury has proved to be no more serious than bad facial bruising, stretching from the upper part of his cheekbone to the temple area, and he left hospital yesterday.

Dundee manager Archie Knox said yesterday. "Graham will miss a few days training but should be OK for next Saturday, which is a great relief to us."

From the moment Harvey headed in that opener there was no doubt which side was going to win the game with Dundee using it as the launching pad for a comfortable victory.

That the scoreline wasn't more impressive was due almost completely to the per formance of Saints keeper Campbell Money and that in itself must be encouraging for manager Knox.

Previously this season he has been left bemoaning the finishing of his side but on this occasion the reason that more goals weren't forthcoming was the display of an opposing goal keeper, who produced a string of superb saves.

Not that Bobby Geddes was outdone in that department for, although Bobby Connor. Tosh McKinlay and John Brown were outstanding, it was the keeper who was Dundee's hero.

With the score standing 1-0 he did really well to thwart Frank McGarvey who was clean through on goal and when the ball was cleared upfield, John Brown took full advantage of that let-off to put Dundee two ahead.

It was a second save from the same player, however, which had the crowd and his manager in raptures.

McGarvey looked as if he couldn't fail to score when given a free header from close range but the keeper somehow flung himself to his left to turn the ball away.

"Geddes was out of this world. his save from that header was really special," said the manager. "I doubt if there's a keeper in Scotland who has been playing better than he has all season."

While Archie was left enthus- ing over a "good all round team performance" which moved his side two places up the Fine Fare Premier League table, Alex. Miller was livid.

"I was very disappointed at my players' total lack of commitment. Dundee wanted to win more than us and always looked like doing so," he admitted.

The Saints' boss expressed sympathy with the Paisley fans who vented their feelings on his side.

Not that there were that many St Mirren or Dark Blue fans at Dens Park.

Only 4290 people turned up. and that is a crying shame because, for the second week running, Dundee were involved in a cracking contest and this time they got the goals to match the build-up and the points to match their play.

The opener in 20 minutes owed much to Archie Knox's decision to restore Tosb McKinlay to his more accustomed left-back role, with Rab Shannon switched to the centre of midfield.

McKinlay, put in possession by Bobby Glennie, linked up perfectly with Bobby Connor who supplied the cross which Harvey headed home.

Goal number two was slightly less clear cut. John Brown's shot from the edge of the area struck a defender's hand.

The deflection sent Money the wrong way, and though the keeper managed to get a hand to the ball, it rolled over the line.

Meantime, Brown had turned away to the referee appealing for a penalty not realising he'd actually scored. The ref put him right!

Ray Stephen completed Dundee's scoring, nodding in a Connor free kick before Brian Gallagher grabbed a late con- solation for Saints.