Dundee 6
St Mirren 3
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier.

Right now, Dundee's displays at Dens Park mightn't be doing manager Jocky Scott's blood pressure any good-but as entertainment they hit the five star mark. Twenty-one goals in three successive home games...unfortunately (for Dundee that is) NINE of them against and only four points out of six.

"It used to be Firhill for thrills, now surely it's Dens," said the manager afterwards.

Fair comment-as is the fact that it looked at one time more like "Dens for disaster" if you were a Dark Blues fan! No fewer than five goals up, yet pegged back to 5-3 at one point before reaching a final tally of 6-3 is no recipe for people of a nervous disposition.

With newcomers Tommy Coyne and Keith Wright joining Graeme Harvey up front, Dundee proved as penetrative as manager Scott had planned over the first 53 minutes with five goals.

But after that.The first goal, in 12 minutes, came via Harvey sending Forsyth racing up the right and a great cross whipping over for Wright to head-flick the ball brilliantly out of Campbell Money's reach. His and his first goal for his new club a great start at home to a new career. Then John Brown went hurtling in on a great Wright cross following an equally great Coyne pass to bullet home the ball in 16 minutes, crashing head to head with Peter Godfrey in the process and having to go off seven minutes later with concussion, while Godfrey suffered a cut head.

Next it was Jim Duffy rapping home a penalty awarded when Money pulled down Wright as the lad was rounding him and, just on half-time, Graeme Harvey lobbing the keeper for No. 4.

When Coyne cut the ball back perfectly from the bye-line for Wright to crack home No. 5 in 53 minutes, the Dens chorus was in full song and everything was coming up roses.

Seventeen minutes later it was 5-3 via Clark, Lambert and Chalmers, Dundee were in almost complete disarray. Saints were moving like champions and some supporters were getting at the Dundee players.

Harvey sorted that out with No. 6 in 84 minutes but the key question-again-is, "what went wrong?"

"First half, our defence was tight on their attackers, our midfield gave their midfield no room and our strikers were right on top of their defence. Second half, we backed off in every department, let them into the game and suffered," was manager Scott's summing up.

"The damage was done early on, but it was a great thing to come back from 5-0 to 5-3," commented Saints' caretaker manager Peter Cormack.

Saints claimed Wright was offside before the penalty and Harvey offside before his first goal. The crowd was 3498, Mennie and Hendry went on for Brown and Wright for Dundee and Fitzpatrick had his name taken for passing comments in 73 minutes, immediately after Money had been penalised for over-carrying the ball.

Tommy Coyne described him self as "fairly satisfied" with his performance after his first game for Dundee against St Mirren on Saturday.

"What I'm hoping for is a run in the team," he said yesterday, adding, "and some goals."

He had no regrets about his spell with Dundee United, though he felt he didn't get the run of games to prove himself that he was hoping for at Dens. Talking about the transfer, manager Jocky Scott said he first approached United boss Jim McLean a month ago but, because the Hajduk Split tie was coming up and Iain Ferguson was ineligible, the approach was rejected.

"I tried again on Friday, he gave me a figure and I said OK," said manager Scott. That figure is reported to be £75,000.

"I talked to the player, he asked for the night to think it over and, on Saturday morning, agreed to join us. We got the signing papers through before the Saturday deadline.

"I honestly didn't think Jim McLean would allow him to come here, but I am delighted he has. There aren't many front players of Premier League standard about and available.

"Everyone here will have to battle for a place, but he could find himself more of a regular, which might be just what he needs.

"Having come from a club who play a different style he could take time to settle into our ways, but he should do it all right."

On Wright, he again made the point that he was one for the future, adding that he had been played on the left-wing to ease him into the Premier League though he is looked on as a striker. This, of course, was Wright's original position. Reason for his substitution in 79 minutes was that he was still a part-timer and had been feeling the pace of his first appearance from the start in the Premier League.

"He did very well, though," he added, making the point that Wright "attacks defenders."

The player starts as a full timer with Dundee today. Yesterday he said he was absolutely delighted with his first home game and the space he had found to work in.

"I am determined to repay the confidence Dundee have shown in me," he remarked.