Hamilton Academical 0
Dundee 3
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier .

Dundee set themselves up perfectly for the big all-ticket game against Celtic at Dens Park on Saturday with an emphatic demolition job on bottom-of-the-table Accies at Douglas Park.

In the process they had their fifth shut-out in succession and a boost to their goal difference-which should, however, have been even greater.

It took a John Brown penalty to set them on the way, but apart from a few minutes at the start Dundee were in almost complete command on a pitch where the bad lights caused them as many problems as the home team.

Prodded on by the midfield and the men at the back, who had time to spare, the much maligned strikers never stopped trying, and Stephen and Harvey scored excellent goals possibly just the confiden boost they have been needing.

Yet again Jim Duffy did a great job of marshalling the defence, this time starring big Jim Smith.

Bluntly, Hamilton aren't good enough for the Premier League. They kept trying, but while their enthusiasm has to be commended they are out of their depth, as one point from 11 games and a 5-27 goal difference proves.

Former Muirton favourite John Brogan caused the first flurry when, in the fifth minute, he rounded Jim Duffy on the by-line and his cross was met by Mitchell. The power was there but not the direction, and the ball rocketed past the near post.

The floodlights were woefully weak, and any ball spiralling down out of the persistent drizzle into the dark patch up the middle of the pitch was causing defenders trouble.

Dundee's first real threat started when McKinlay burst down the left and sent in a powerful cross. It looped into the goalmouth off McKee's head and McKellar did well to concede only a corner, which proved fruitless.

A.couple of punched clearances by the keeper off Rafferty crosses from the right illustrated Dundee's increasing pressure, and snap shots by Stephen and Shannon were deflected desperately to safety by defenders.

When Angus broke down the right Stephen's header lacked direction, and the danger of being on top but not scoring was illustrated in 24 minutes when a 35-vard Mitchell free kick rocketed just over the bar. No. trouble but a distinct warning.

Stephen and Harvey got the Hamilton defence in a tangle in 28 minutes and Brown broke clear for a shot which went just past the post.

His next one was from the penalty spot, and it deservedly opened Dundee's account in the 32nd minute.

Harvey had gone down in 30 minutes and been refused a penalty, but when McVeigh flattened him again 90 seconds later the ref. unhesitatingly pointed to the spot.

After left-footing home the kick. Brown, a former Accies player, who had been taking a bit of stick from the crowd, had his name taken, presumably for gesturing to those behind the goal.

When Laddle was dumped on his face inside the box just before half-time, Hamilton claims for a penalty were loud and long, but the ref. said no. It was an isolated example of Accies in attack.

Accies first real threat of the game came within a minute minut of the restart when a Liddle shot was well held low down by Geddes.

Brown and Angus worked a well rehearsed free kick to Stephen, whose shot was flash- ing towards the corner of the net when McKellar finger tipped it away.

Stephen had better fortune in 56 minutes, however. Just after McKellar had saved well from a Jack header he pounced on a McKee mistake to make room for himself to fire home a great 15-yard shot.

And it was 3-0 four minutes later. A powerful Brown surge up the right side of the field and a low right foot cross ended with Harvey sweeping the ball past McKellar.

The only sign of Hamilton aggression was a Brogan run down the right which ended with an unexpectedly bad half- hit shot past Geddes's post.

In 68 minutes Clarke went on for Sproatt but the pattern of the game didn't change, with Jim Smith bursting through from the back for a shot, then his defensive partner Jim Duffy also having a go!

With Dundee in complete con- trol of the game, the one criticism was that the finishing wasn't on a par with their approach work.