Stranraer 3
Dundee 1
League Cup (2nd Round)

Match Report

This dismal defeat at Stair Park as Dundee crashed out of the CIS Cup was to prove manager Jim Duffy's last in charge. On a depressing night for the Dark Blues, they never matched the urgency of their fellow First Division opponents who thoroughly deserved a first ever win against their more illustrious opponents.

Finding themselves two down with just under half an hour played, a Simon Lynch strike temporarily lifted hopes of salvaging the tie 18 minutes from the end, but a third goal from Leigh Hinds six minutes from the time sealed the Dark Blues' fate.

With Tom McManus having recovered, Jim Duffy made just one enforced change from Saturday's win against Queen of the South, Paul Dixon coming in for the injured Scott Robertson. Steven Robb moved into midfield whilst Dixon filled the vacant left wing-back slot.

After 11 minutes of early sparring, lain Anderson brought the game to life when he lost his marker and ran unchallenged to fire in a drive from 22 yards which home keeper Barry John Corr turned round the post for a corner. From the resultant kick, the ball was squared back to its taker, Robb, whose curling effort was saved by Corr.

The first threat from the home side came a minute later, Leigh Hinds driving just a yard or so wide from the edge of the box.

However, there was a real shock for the visitors after 17 minutes when skipper Allan Jenkins, sidestepped Garry Brady before hammering a low drive under the body of the diving Kelvin Jack from 25 yards. With the Stair Park outfit looking much the sharper, it was far from a surprise that they scored a second 11 minutes later.

Former Dark Blue Lee Sharp played the ball through to David Hamilton who slipped it past the lunging Barry Smith before rounding Tom Hutchinson and angling home a fierce left foot drive from eight yards.

Manager Duffy's response was to push Smith into midfield and move Anderson wide right.

Worryingly for the hundred or so hardy Dark Blue followers, their side, while enjoying the bulk of possession, hardly threatened before the interval arrived.

Unsurprisingly, Duffy made further changes at the start of the second half bringing on his assistant Gerry Britton for Hutchinson, with the Dark Blues reverting to a back four with Smith back at right back and McManus stepping back into the midfield.

Britton's introduction temporarily injected some much- needed urgency into the visitors' play and seven minutes after the restart he was inches away with a header from a Smith cross.

Six minutes later, Corr was tested for the first time since early in the match, but Anderson's well-struck shot was straight at the home keeper.

Only a great tip over by Jack from a searing Sharp strike from 30 yards out prevented further embarrassment for the visitors.

Jacinto replaced Robb midway through the second period as Duffy tried to rescue a tie which was rapidly slipping away from his side.

It was goal-a-game Lynch who handed the Dark Blues an unexpected lifeline with a blistering right-foot drive from the corner of the box 18 minutes from the end.

Six minutes later, however, any doubt about the outcome was removed with Stranraer's third.

Man-of-the-match Jenkins drove forward, jinking past two defenders before releasing the ball into Hinds' path and he fired into the far corner from 12 yards.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme