Dundee 2
Stranraer 1
League (First Division)
DundeeDundee |
2 - 12 - 1 |
StranraerStranraer |
 |
League (First Division) |
 |
| Goalscorers | |
|
Bryan Deasley (7) Simon Lynch (65) |
Paul Walker (28) |
| Team Managers | |
|
Alan Kernaghan |
Neil Watt |
| Starting Eleven | |
|
1. Scott Murray 2. Barry Smith 3. Bobby Mann 4. Callum MacDonald 5. Paul Dixon 6. Garry Brady 7. Scott Robertson 8. Kevin McDonald 9. Steven Robb 10. Simon Lynch 11. Bryan Deasley |
Barry Jon Corr .1 Stephen Swift .2 Alex Keddie .3 Murray Henderson .4 Paul Walker .5 Stephen Payne .6 Andy Dowie .7 Brian Gilfillan .8 Craig Higgins Leigh Hinds .10 Willie Martin .11 |
| Bench | |
|
12. Andrew Britton 14. Stuart McCluskey 15. Craig O'Reilly 16. Colin Marshall 17. Steven Craig |
Alan Morrison .12 Lee Sharp .14 Stephen Aitken .15 Derek Wingate .16 |
| Substitutions | |
|
Colin Marshall for Steven Robb (61) Steven Craig for Bryan Deasley (75) |
Derek Wingate for Stephen Payne (82) Lee Sharp for Willie Martin (86) Stephen Aitken for Brian Gilfillan (86) |
| Cautions | |
| None. |
Alex Keddie (54) Murray Henderson (85) |
| Red Cards | |
| None. | None. |
| Match Officials | |
|
Douglas McDonald (Referee) |
Match Report
Dundee won back to back league games for the first time this season by beating Stranraer 2-1 at Dens with Bryan Deasley scoring on his first home start and Simon Lynch hitting the winner, his third in four games.
Deasley's first goal came after seven minutes and provided a first look at his finishing power to the first team support, he rasped home a volley from the edge of the box after a neat lay off from Lynch.
The Dark Blues should have been well ahead by the end of a bright opening twenty minutes, the best chance falling to Lynch after Deasley had laid the ball into his path, but the top scorer blazed his effort high. They were punished for that, and other misses, in 28 minutes when after failing to clear the ball effectively during Stranraer's first real period of pressure they conceded a sloppy goal which saw Paul Walker net after a mix up between Scott Murray and Paul Dixon. It was a poor way to end a superb period of eight hours without conceding a goal.
Dundee pushed forward to try to restore their lead before the break, Callum Macdonald lashing a drive just wide from the edge of the box.
The rest of the half played out with Dundee trying to ask questions of the Stranraer defence but their back line held out and the visitors held out until half time with the score's still level.
In the second half, Stranraer came out looking a different side with newfound determination after the interval.
The visitors pushed forward much more than they had in the first half, when they had appeared happy to spoil the game, and came close to taking the lead with a shot that beat Murray and came back off the base of the post.
Their defence pushed further up and the midfield crunched into gear to cause Dundee the same types of problems they had had caused Stranraer in the first half. The best chance for Neil Watt's men to get a second goal fell to Willie Martin.
After concerted pressure the ball was played to him and he struck a beautiful shot that struck the base of the post. The post was to prove another valiant opponent to the visitors as they struck it a further couple of times in the half, Dundee struggled to create chances of their own, but took the lead again in 67 minutes with a goal out of nothing, Kevin McDonald surged forward and cut the ball back to Lynch who placed his shot from just outside the box perfectly into the bottom corner.
Stranraer didn't let that get them down and they continued to press, but their efforts to grab an equaliser proved to be in vain despite Leigh Hinds, Paul Walker, Murray Henderson and Bryan Gilfillan thrown up front in the last five minutes.
Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme
Squad Statistics (as at January 28th, 2006)
| 2005-06 | All Time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Nat |  |
 |
|
|
|
| Scott Murray (GK) | 17 |
|
9 | - | 9 | - |
| Paul Dixon | 19 |
|
23 | 1 | 23 | 1 |
| Callum MacDonald | 22 |
|
19 | - | 61 | 1 |
| Bobby Mann | 32 |
|
29 | 3 | 61 | 3 |
| Barry Smith | 31 |
|
29 | - | 417 | 4 |
| Garry Brady | 29 |
|
26 | - | 131 | 2 |
| Kevin McDonald | 17 |
|
17 | 2 | 17 | 2 |
| Steven Robb | 23 |
|
23 | - | 87 | 4 |
| Scott Robertson | 20 |
|
28 | 1 | 38 | 1 |
| Bryan Deasley | 17 |
|
6 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Simon Lynch | 23 |
|
28 | 14 | 28 | 14 |
| Colin Marshall (sub) | 21 |
|
3 | - | 3 | - |
| Steven Craig (sub) | 24 |
|
12 | 3 | 12 | 3 |
League Table (as at January 28th, 2006)
No league table has been added for this season.
Manager's Programme Notes
I was delighted with our performance up at Glebe Park last Saturday and it was good that so many of you were there to see us get back on the goal trail. The workrate from the team was the thing that stood out for me, we played the conditions well, passed it when we had the ball and battled away when we didn't have it.
We've had a bit of a joke with Paul Dixon this week about his goal - teasing him that it was an own goal, but seriously it was a great strike, Paul's got forward well a few times recently, he crossed the ball for O'Reilly to score against Stranraer in the cup a couple of weeks ago, and last week he had a bang himself and it went in, we were all really pleased for him.
In fact I was pleased with all the players, young and not so young but it's the performances of the young lads that have given everyone at the club a lift. Craig O'Reilly has done well in the first team but I thought we could use Deasley's pace on this occasion, we thought his speed would trouble them and it did once or twice. I was pleased with him, he's a fantastic talent, he was a wee bit knackered when his chances came along. But he'll grow bigger and stronger and be the better for this experience. As I said though I was happy with the whole side
I think the future is bright with the youngsters we've got here, but they'll have a few ins or outs, to give them a little rest from time to time. But I've been absolutely delighted with them, when we've put them in they've all performed really well. We're trying to blood them all so that we have a head start to next season."
It's been good to have Lee Wilkie back training with the first team this week, but I'd still think he's maybe four or five weeks away from being able to play a first team game. He's going to have to go through the rigours of the reserves and get himself properly match-fit before he is ready for first team action. Stephen McNally, who had an operation on his back on Monday, it will be pre-season before he is back training with us. It's not easy being out injured for that length of time, but Lee coming back can be an inspiration to him.
Today we welcome Neil Watt and his Stranraer side again, after they visited in the Tennent's Scottish Cup just three weeks ago, we won relatively comfortably that day, but make no mistake we'll have to play at least as well again to get a result today, in the last couple of months we've really only had the one bad half to a match, against Airdrie on Boxing Day.
The defence have been playing well during that period and have got stronger as the weeks have passed. Hopefully they can continue that today and we can show some firepower up front.
You've all shown a lot of patience with the team in recent weeks, I'd ask you to do the same again today, they are doing their best and appreciate your support.