Dundee 2
East Stirlingshire 0
Challenge Cup (1st Round)

Match Report

Dundee's first competitive game of the new season, on paper, looked like easy pickings against East Stirling, who finished 42 out of 42 last term, and best part of the ninety minutes this proved to be the case. For the first five minutes, play was never out of the East Stirling half. However, although there was plenty of pressure and a fair few shots on goal, the first 20 minutes went by uneventfully.

Dundee pressed East Stirling all the way, drawing some excellent saves and some easy takes from the Shire's number one Derek Jackson.

New youth prospect Paul Dixon, starting today at left back, looked promising throughout his competitive debut, getting forward in support as often as possible.

The breakthrough for Dundee came in the 24th minute from a Dundee throw-in. Dixon, about 10- yards from the bye-line, threw the ball long into the box, which lain Anderson headed across the face of the goal to bury it into the bottom right hand corner just beyond the reach of the keeper.

Maintaining the pressure on the visitors, East Stirling switched to a back five, making it easier for the Dundee midfield to move forward and five minutes later they were rewarded with a second goal.

Scott Robertson played a ball through the Shire's defence to new signing Simon Lynch who, virtually one on one with the keeper, saw his first shot blocked, but luck was with the young striker and as the rebound fell to his feet, leaving him with an easy chip into the back of the net.

East Stirling's defence may have been pushed back for much of the half, but they did well to keep the total at two, with their goalkeeper having a good game.

The visitors forayed forward on a few occasions, but rarely troubled the Dark Blues' defence with Kelvin

Jack having very little to do.

As the first half wore on, the visitors came more into the game, coming closest to scoring from a good bit of passing play that brought them up to just outside the box. From there, lain Diak blasted in a shot, which, but for a deflection off of Aussie signing Adrian Madaschi, would have surely hit the back of the net.

The 'Shire definitely had the better of possession for the first ten minutes or so after the interval, with their strikers getting forward more and more, but never really coming any closer than a foot or so past the post and having three shots blocked on the edge of the penalty area by Barry Smith and Bobby Mann.

Undoubtedly the Shire's best chance of the game came on the hour mark, when a shot came in from outside of the box. It dipped low to Jack's right hand post, but he just got a hand to it, tipping it onto the bottom of the post for a corner.

East Stirling threatened down their left flank, with Barry Smith marshalling well.

Dundee played most of the second half in a 4-2-4 formation with Robb and Anderson linking up with McManus and Lynch as much as possible, with the midfield endeavours of Brady and Robertson supporting this.

In the 73rd minute, both sides made changes, with the Fan's player Gavin Swankie taking to the field in place of Garry Brady, and East Stirling replacing Andrew Brand with Steven Dymock. The change seemed to bring a new lease of life to the Dundee attack with more of the action taking place in the away teams half of the pitch.

The home side used their width well, with Dixon, Robb, Swankie and Smith all getting plenty of the ball, but without the crosses really coming to anything.

The best chance of a third came on 77 minutes when McManus played the ball out to Steven Robb who laid into Simon Lynch's path but his shot trickled wide.

By the 80th minute, Dundee's superior fitness was starting to show with Shire camped back in their own half for most of the last ten minutes. Scott Robertson gave Dundee fans a taste of what might be expected from the young midfielder in the 83rd minute, when he met Swankie's cross from the right with a diving header, but the 'keeper was well placed to make it look a relatively simple take.

From the resulting free kick Steven Robb's cross into the box was taken off Madaschi's head by Mark Tyrrell.

East Stirling were to have one more attack before the end of the game, which earned them a free kick on the edge of the penalty box.

The award was whipped in towards Jack, but was an easy take by the Trinidad international goalkeeper.

The last real chance of the game fell to Gavin Swankie a minute from time when his cross come shot fell into the arms of the goalkeeper.

All in all, a good performance from both Dundee and East Stirling and newer members of the team look to be beginning to gel well with the "old guard".

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme