Greenock Morton 1
Dundee 2
League (First Division)

Match Report

Derek Lyle came off the bench to score the winner at Cappielow.

That goal gave Dundee reward for forcing the game on a difficult afternoon against a Morton side who were fighting for their First Division lives.

Dundee were lively from the start, but efforts from Paul Dixon, Mickael Antoine-Curier and Freddie Daquin failed to trouble Lee Robinson in the home goal. Morton had also started well and they took the lead in eight minutes via their first chance of the match - Jim McAllister's low drive from the edge of the penalty area finding the net in eight minutes, McAllister had done well to get into a shooting position, having gone past two defenders as he cut in from the left flank.

The 'Ton took heart from the opener and briefly had Dundee under the cosh, Captain Peter Weatherson might have doubled their advantage on the quarter hour but hammered his shot against Craig Samson's legs.

Dundee pushed forward and Mickael Antoine-Curier came close in 24 minutes, clipping a deft lob just over the bar with Robinson beaten.

A minute later he got another opportunity and this time fired Dundee level with a fine effort from that lethal right boot - David O'Brien picked up a loose ball after a poor clearance from the home keeper, made a good run deep into the home half of the field and fed the Antoine-Curier, the Frenchman ramming a bullet into the bottom corner of the net from 22 yards.

There was a scare for the Dee defence on 34 minutes when Scott McLauchlin hit the underside of the bar with a powerful free kick, the Dark Blues defence scrambling the ball out of the danger area.

Up to now the match had been played in glorious sunshine, but the final ten minutes of the half saw a hailstorm and freezing rain and the game seemed to lose it's edge until the break. Two minutes from the interval Alex Rae replaced O'Brien with Gavin Swankie.

Morton threw everything at the Dundee defence in the opening minutes of the second half, but a couple of long throws into the Dundee penalty area brought no reward for David Irons' side and as time went on Dundee showed more and more urgency.

Swankie was troubling the home defence on a regular basis, but the final ball wasn't finding a Dundee player, Kevin McDonald tried a low effort from just outside the area but it lacked power and drifted just wide.

Gary Mackenzie came close in 56 minutes when he got on the end of a Patrick Noubissie ball into the box and beat Robinson with a looping header but David Alexander cleared off the goal-line.

Alex Rae went for it just after the hour, introducing Derek Lyle and going with a front three, and the striker showed he was keen to make an impact, firing in a shot with his first touch.

Home keeper Robinson was under a fair bit of pressure now and he did well to cut out crossed from Swankie and McMenamin as Dundee turned the screw.

On 79 minutes there was a scare for Dundee as Morton broke, Substitute lain Russell broke onto a lofted ball forward and fired a looping shot over the bar.

Dundee were straight back on the attack though and their urgency was about to pay off, ten minutes from time Eddie Malone sent in a free kick from deep and Gary Mackenzie rose to head it down, and Lyle showed real coolness to place his shot from just inside the box into the net before racing off to celebrate with the Dundee support - His clenched fist at the final whistle said it all.

Match report written by Tommy Young - Dundee Matchday Programme