Dundee 4
Falkirk 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Courier.

Dundee returned to the winning trail with a comprehesive victory at Dens last night.

Despite resting key men Tommy Coyne, Rab Shannon and skipper Jim Duffy, the Dark Blues completely dominated proceedings, plunging Falkirk deeper into relegation trouble with goals from Lawrence, Jack, Wright and Brown.

However, in a less pleasing note for Dundee just under 3000 people watched them record, their third win of the season over troubled Bairns.

Albert Kidd, making his first appearance at Dens since joining Falkirk on a free transfer from Dundee, scorned a golden chance in the opening minutes.

Kidd was left with only Geddes to beat after Hetherston had flicked on a Scrimgeour cross, but he blasted over from six yards.

An equally clear-cut opportunity presented itself at the other end moments later when Brown headed a McKinlay centre into the path of Jack, but he, too, was well off target.

Dundee gradually began to take command. Jack headed a Forsyth free-kick wide when well-placed to do better, and Brown had a net-bound shot deflected for a corner.

Their superiority was rewarded with a goal in 24 minutes for recent signing Alan Lawrence.

A McKinlay cross from the left was touched across goal by Jack for Lawrence, who steadied himself before driving the ball home just inside Marshall's left-hand post.

Four minutes later that lead was extended. Referee Colin Sinclair waved away a penalty claim for handball against Manley, but before the Dundee protests had died down, Kerr upended Wright just inside the area and the Forfar whistler pointed to the spot.

Ross Jack converted with ease.

Stuart Rafferty almost made it three with a 20-yard drive which only just missed the target.

Falkirk made a double substitution during the interval, Martin and Eadie replacing Hetherstone and Hughes, but those changes did little to alter the pattern of play.

The visitors had a narrow escape when Keith Wright's left foot flick from a Brown pass struck Marshall's body and spun round the post.

A third goal had to come and it duly did in 56 minutes. The Bairns' keeper was completely deceived by the bounce of a long through ball from Forsyth, leaving Wright to tap into an empty net.

A Lawrence cross almost brought further reward from the dominant Dees, but it just failed to find the head of Wright, allowing Marshall to gather.

Dundee struck again, how ever, in 68 minutes.

Forsyth cut the ball back from the by-line and Jack rolled it into the path of John Brown, who scored with a low shot from 14 yards.

Home substitutes Graham Harvey and Vince Mennie were both given a run in the closing minutes, replacing Wright and Smith, and Harvey came within inches of adding the fifth, shooting just wide of Marshall's left hand post.

There was one booking, Lawrence spoiling a fine Dens Park debut by having his name taken for an unnecessary foul on Marshall.