Airdrieonians (2002) 4
Dundee 0
League (First Division)

Match Report

Thirteen seconds, that's how long this football match lasted, thirteen seconds which saw Dundee kick off, play the ball back to Bobby Mann - not win possession after his punt up the park, then stand and watch as Prunty found Brian McPhee who was afforded all the space he needed and fired the ball past Soutar to kill off the game.

Now that's a ridiculous statement isn't it? A football match killed off with 89 minutes and 47 seconds to go but that's just what it was because the upsetting thing about this trip to Lanarkshire wasn't losing a goal so early, or the eventual margin of score, but that the Dark Blues never once looked like getting back into this match.

Perhaps it could be put down to a bogey team, Airdrie after all had been the only side to beat Dundee in the league this season, and had outplayed the Dark Blues before losing a Bells Cup tie due to the penalty shoot out heroics of kid keeper Scott Murray too. But the bogey team theory is shot out of the water by the fact that this was a performance waiting to happen. Dundee have never this season reached the standards expected with the talent available in the squad and have had spells in every match where mediocrity has ruled.

The difference in this game was that mediocrity seemed a pleasant dream, Dundee were woeful from start to finish and gave the easiest ninety minutes imaginable to Airdrie. The home side are like every other team in this league, solid, hard working, good professionals who can play a bit when allowed and who will scrap when up against it. How Dundee's hardy 416 fans dream of supporting a team like that after this hiding. In particular how they could take to a man like McPhee, two goals to earn his side the points, involved in the other two and then doing the post match TV interview wearing his 'real job' fireman's uniform presumably he was heading straight off to do a job much more important than being a footballer.

It wasn't that Dundee didn't have a fair bit of the ball, this is after all the First Division where opponents gift you possession on a regular basis, but when the Dark Blues had the ball they too often chose the route one option or simply passed it back to a man with a diamond on his shirt. On the occasions when the home side didn't give the ball away they ripped Dundee apart, Derek Soutar made three fine saves in the first half, but lost another goal to a McPhee header from a corner, ironically conceded via one of those good stops. The low moaning sound coming from the away support, as fans discussed the first forty five, during the half time interval identified what had happened at the other end of the park during the first half, precisely nothing, Kevin McDonald was trying to be the young, bright hope that he is, but was getting little help, Simon Lynch too was putting in a shift, but starved of service and support might as well have been sitting with that disgruntled travelling few.

For too long Dundee have had a long ball mentality, that was fine when Georgi Nemsadze was pinging the ball down the channels for the quicksilver Nacho Novo to chase but doesn't work with this current bunch of players or in this league. Garry Brady must have been pulling what remains of his hair out as he watched the ball fly over his head, and had to battle for the scraps, it's not his game, never has been and the one player capable of putting his foot on the ball and finding a team mate on a consistent basis was made to look as poor as his colleagues, mind you he'll be used to that scenario by now, Dundee don't play to their strengths and too many of the side got rid of the ball and thought later.

Normally there's some optimism amongst the fans, especially when the vocal critics have stayed at home after a late midweek collapse, but even the most die hard could see no hope for the second forty five minutes, they slumped quietly in their seats and anticipated another three quarters of an hour of pain.

That's pretty much what they got, although Dundee did try to push forward it was with no pace or style, the introduction of Paul Dixon at least allowed Steven Robb to push forward a bit, but he struggled to make anything happen against a home defence who now felt as if they were unbeatable.

Midway through the half the, by now almost past caring, support began to sing "How about a shot at goal", a sad moment and one that wouldn't be answered for some time, in fact there were just 15 minutes to go when Steven Robb made space for himself and fired a shot straight at Robertson in the Airdrie goal Incredibly it wasn't just the first effort on target, but also the first effort of any kind from the Dark Blues. The wildly ironic cheers of the supporters summed it up well.

If those fans thought this signalled an improvement in performance or fortune they didn't have long to be proved wrong and this time Dundee could claim to be a little unlucky, McPhee surged down the right and attempted a cross which came off Bobby Mann's shoulder, the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty and Stephen McKeown fired home the spot kick.

Five minutes later the rout was complete as Martin Hardie ran onto McPhee's pass and slotted home the fourth, it was no more of a punishment than Dundee deserved.

Strangely in the five minutes between those two goal Dundee had actually upped their work rate to something like the level needed and had made a good chance, Tam McManus getting free and bringing a good save from Robertson, the fourth goal killed off even that brief spell of pressure from Dundee.

The final whistle saw Dundee's players sensibly opt for heading for the dressing room rather than acknowledge the support of those left, any who glanced in the direction of the away fans were greeted with accusing fingers and torrents of abuse after possibly the worst performance in a decade from a Dundee side.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme