Dundee 0
Dundee United 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier .

It's fascinating to listen to opposing managers summing things up after games...and Archie Knox and Jim McLean hit a few nails squarely on the head after the latest Dundee-Dundee United derby at Dens Park on Saturday.

The most down-to-earth summary though came from a Dundee (yes, Dundee) fan leaving the ground just ahead of me. "It wisnae a classic an' the result wis aboot richt," he said, adding ruefully, "Bit see that wee Sturrock and big Gough? They gie me nightmares!"

A spot-on description of 90 minutes of honest endeavour enlightened by a series of flashes of Paul Sturrock brilliance and a superb winning goal by Richard Gough.

The goal came in 33 minutes when Sturrock, at his elusive best at this stage, sent Kevin Gallacher racing off down the right. The youngster, whose crosses during the game were often lacking both direction and accuracy, got it right this time after rounding Rab Shannon.

Richard Gough had raced into the box and rose above everyone with perfect timing to bullet the ball past Bobby Geddes with his head. with his trusty right foot against Rumania on Wednesday One w night, one with his head here. He's going to be high on the list of danger men in the World Cup!

"We should have finished it in the first half," said manager McLean, "but the final cross is still not right. We got in only two quality crosses in the whole first half and one of them led to the goal.

"The important thing for us, though, is the result and we have taken two points away from home." Two points which set up perfectly the league meeting with Hearts on Satur Saturday week.

Dundee boss Archie Knox was in unrelenting mood. "We never looked like getting a goal," he said. "In fact, even carly on I was thinking, 'this is a 0-0 game if ever I saw one. Although they had us under pressure first half, I didn't think they would score.

"We showed no urgency throughout the game, particularly second half, so we didn't deserve anything out of it. We were without John Brown and Jim Smith and four of our players had appeared in the reserve derby on Thursday night. When you have a small pool of players that sort of thing crucifies you."

When comment was made that United "sat back" in the second half, he replied that they were a team which could do this, "because that back four of Gough, Hegarty, Narey and Malpas is the best in Scotland...maybe in Britain".

A minute before the goal Dundee striker Graham Harvey tumbled inside the box with Paul Hegarty in close attendance. If was a stonewall penalty," said manager Knox. Referee Doug Downie didn't agree.

United had the wind and sun at their backs and the slope in their favour first half-and it showed. Sturrock's control and skill helped them keep up almost constant pressure on Jim Duffy and his fellow defenders, who coped pretty well in the circumstances, leaving 'keeper Geddes with little to do.

Second half was disappointing as Dundee didn't take advantage of the elements and United blanketed out their none-too-impressive attempts to get at 'keeper Thomson. Geddes had a couple ole of excellent saves, from a Sturrock shot and Gallacher header. Thomson pulled off an acrobatic one from a Campbell shot which was going wide. Otherwise it was a lot of hard graft and little inspiration.

United put Holt on for Kirkwood in 55 minutes, with manager McLean disclosing afterwards that Billy had been up all the previous night after personally delivering his wife Gwen of their baby son, born well ahead of schedule.

He insisted on playing," said his manager, "but was almost out on his feet when I replaced him." For Dundee, Crainie and Campbell went on for Mennie and Hendry.

Sturrock and that magnificent back four were my pick of the bunch for Dundee United. Dundee's back four were under far greater pressure and coped pretty well in the circumstances, but apart from Harvey showing good close control, the midfield and attack weren't in it on the day

Playing his first game since announcing he was moving to Neuchatel Xamax next season, Davie Dodds was fairly anonymous. Dens newcomer Danny Crainie? "He'll have to play further up the park than that," said manager Knox, who will no doubt be appraising the ex-Celt forcibly of this fact in the coming weeks.

Crowd figure was 15,079 and there were no bookings in a competitive, but "clean" game.