Dundee 2
Meadowbank Thistle 0
Scottish Cup (3rd Round 2nd Replay)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier.

Scottish Cup specialist Tommy Coyne struck again to send Dundee into the quarter- finals of the competition, where they will now meet Clydebank.

A brace at Dens last night brought his cup tally to four goals and in the process finally ended the resistance of Second Division Meadowbank.

The former Dundee United striker's efforts, however, were greeted more with a sense of relief than jubilation on the terraces, which perfectly summed up the events in this fourth round second replay.

Dundee fielded the same line-up and tried identical tactics to those so successfully employed against Celtic at the weekend, but Thistle in contrast, never looked like capitulating in the way the Glasgow outfit had.

The first period was a disappointing affair, with Dundee failing to force a break through despite the fact that Meadowbank keeper Jim McQueen struggled throughout after sustaining a leg injury in an early collision with Ross Jack.

Incredibly it wasn't until the final seconds of the half that the Dark Blues really came close to exploiting this handi cap. Brown firing in a 30 yarder which the crippled McQueen just managed to tip over.

Prior to that their best effort came following a McKinlay free kick, with Jack forcing the keeper to save on the goal-line.

At the other end there was relief for Dundee when Roseburgh found only the side netting after rounding Geddes.

Thankfully, post-interval happenings were somewhat more exciting and in 64 minutes came the opener.

Forsyth's deep corner from the left was headed back across goal by Smith and, as others stood watching, Coyne knocked the ball into the net.

Six minutes later the £70,000 striker notched his second from the penalty spot after a Jack shot had struck Hendrie's hand.

It was a soft award but Coyne converted gratefully and on a number of occasions might easily have completed his hat-trick.

In addition to the two goals, he saw a header strike the bar, sent another aerial effort just wide and had a powerful shot well saved by McQueen.

Those attempts apart, Dundee's second half superiority might also have been rewarded through Jack and Shannon, the former shooting wide from 14 yards, the latter firing straight at the keeper when clean through in the closing minutes.

Meadowbank performed creditably and after going two goals down came close to grabbing some consolation on a couple of occasions.

There were two bookings, McKinlay for chopping down Lawrence and a Meadowbank player for extracting revenge a minute later.

Dundee sent on Rafferty for Mennie and Meadowbank replaced Armstrong with Leetion.

Manager Jocky Scott said afterwards, "The main thing is we are through and that is all that matters at this stage. "We didn't play well but Meadowbank made it hard for us."