Dundee 2
Airdrieonians (1878-2002) 0
Scottish Cup (4th Round)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from Steve Bruce - The Courier .

Dundee cruised into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals with a comfortable win over First Division Airdrie at Dens last night. But their victory was marred by injury to three players, STEVE BRUCE reports. Bobby Connor, Rab Shannon and Ross Jack were all forced to leave the field in the second half with knocks.

Jack and Shannon were both taken to hospital after the game with a broken arm and a suspected broken cheekbone, respectively. Connor has a pulled calf muscle. Manager Archie Knox said, "We've made it into the next round but at a terrible cost. At 4 p.m. the conditions were perfect but they grew steadily worse as the day went on and that was responsible for the injuries."

The Dundee ground staff had worked all day to clear the pitch of snow and their efforts were rewarded by the first team's performance in this fourth round tie.

In the end, second half goals from Ray Stephen and Vince Mennie were all that separated the sides, but had Dundee trebled that score they would not have been flattered.

With just 90 seconds gone, Dundee were denied by the woodwork when Bobby Connor's low corner kick struck the outside of the post. Vince Mennie should have opened the scoring when picked out by a McCormack header but his close-range shot was blocked by McKeown.

Twice in as many minutes Rab Shannon came desperately close, flashing a 25-yard drive inches wide then watching in disbelief as a header came back off the inside of a post.

It was all Dundee, with surprise inclusion Ross Jack just off target with a hooked shot and Ray Stephen having an effort deflected for a corner.

Jack missed a great opportunity in 34 minutes when he made a mess of a header after an inch-perfect cross from Mennie.

With a minute of the first half remaining. Airdrie keeper John Martin did well to block a Ray Stephen shot from a McKinlay free kick headed on by Mennie.

Within nine minutes of the restart keeper Martin had been beaten twice and booked as Dundee stamped their authority on the proceedings.

Seconds into the second half the Airdrie keeper had his name taken for shoving Stephen off the ball after referee Alan Ferguson had blown for off-side.

And three minutes later his misery was added to when Connor swept in a cross from the left which, though missed by Mennie, was turned into the net at the back post by Stephen.

Dundee were once more denied by the woodwork in 54 minutes when a Connor 25-yarder came back off the crossbar, but before Martin or his defenders could recover, Mennie dashed in to slot home the rebound.

In the midst of all this, the £65,000 signing from Cologne also missed a snip of a chance when blasting the ball over the bar from right in front of goal.

Dundee were in complete command and continued to press. Martin was forced to push away a Mennie shot from 25 yards then recovered well to defy Jack who had pounced on a loose ball.

From the resultant Connor corner Mennie had a header blocked on the line.

Connor was again thwarted by the woodwork in 75 minutes and injured himself when driving the ball against the crossbar and had to be replaced by Rafferty.

With seven minutes of the game remaining, Airdrie create their first real chance but McCabe's lob hit the bar. Seconds later Shannon had to leave the field with a head injury.

That forced Dundee to commit Graham Harvey their second substitute, and when Jack sustained an arm injury, they were reduced to 10 men.