Dundee 4
Dumbarton 0
League Cup (2nd Round)

Match Report

Dundee cantered into the third round of the CIS Insurance Cup last night, easily disposing of third division Dumbarton.

The Dark Blues ensured that there would be no repeat of the humiliating exit handed them by lowly Alloa last year by racing into a three-goal lead inside the opening 35 minutes.

And the only criticism that could reasonably be levelled at them was their failure to run up a scoring tally which more accurately reflected their almost total control of the the.

In absolute command of midfield, they created a host of chances but slapdash finishing let them down.

And that annoyed manager Jocky Scott, who did not spare even Willie Falconer or Steve Boyack, both of whom grabbed braces, from criticism.

"The most important thing is that we got through and it was good we did that with a clean sheet and a few goals," said Scott.

"But if we'd continued to do the right things and not had everyone trying to get in on the action we'd have scored a lot more.

"Falconer and Boyack might have had hat-tricks but they both tried to chip the keeper-something they wouldn't have done if the game had been standing at 0-0."

Sons' boss Jimmy Brown admitted that he was grateful to leave Dens Park having avoided an absolute hammering.

"I'd real fears of that happening when the second goal went in," he confessed. "From then on it was a case of damage limitation for us and fortunately they took their foot off the pedal.

"It's a hit or miss playing Premier clubs. Either you cause an upset or get a doing.

"Dundee scored at the right time for them and punished every mistake we made."

The Dark Blues struck first in the 17th minute when Eddie Annand head-flicked a Willie Miller through ball into the path of Boyack who, with Kenny Meechan expecting a low driven shot, coolly curled round the flat footed keeper and into his postage stamp corner.

They went two up after 31 minutes when Annand gathered a long cross- field ball from Michael Yates and four minutes later Falconer grabbed his second of the night when after Gavin Rae had broken from his own six-yard line and fed Boyack, he latched onto Boyack's ball inside and hit an unstoppable first-time shot past Meechan.

Falconer almost completed his hat-trick when he met another Yates cross, only for Meechan to turn the ball on to the underside of crossbar.

Despite being utterly outplayed, Dumbarton nearly pulled a goal back just before half-time but Robert Douglas came to Dundee's rescue, turning Joe Robertson's rasping free-kick round his right hand post for a corner.

The Dark Blues picked up where they'd left off following the break but with Falconer, Hugh Robertson, Rae. Barry Smith and Annand all failing to convert fine openings, Rae being denied by a post and the aforementioned chip from Boyack narrowly clearing the bar, Sons were let off lightly.

It wasn't until the dying seconds that Dundee found the net again. although to be fair the goal was worth the wait.

Skipper Smith thought he'd had a spectacular final say with a 40-yard effort which cannoned back off the inside of Meechan's right hand post.

However, the visitors failed to clear the loose ball and it was Boyack who pounced from the edge of the area.

Match report written by The Courier