Dundee got their pre-season campaign underway with a 3-1 win over Arbroath at Gayfield this afternoon. Scott Tiffoney scored twice to put the Dee 2-0 ahead in the first half. There were seven substitutions at half time, and Max Anderson, one of the subs, made it three shortly after the restart. Innes Murray pulled a goal back for the Lichties midway through the second half. Another flurry of substitutions meant the Dee were fielding a team largely of youngsters. The inexperienced Dark Blues settled down and saw the game out comfortably.
The team which began the match featured two of the three new signings, although Jon McCracken is already very familiar to the supporters. Clark Robertson was the only truly new face in the starting eleven. Dundee went with a similar formation to the one they used for most of last season, a back three with wing backs pushing high up the pitch. Josh Mulligan and Fin Robertson were the wing backs.
Luke McCowan provided the first moment of excitement when he flashed a shot across goal after a clever combination with Scott Tiffoney on the left. These neat, quick passing attacks were a feature of the Dee’s play in a first half that they dominated.
Innes Murray went close with a 22 yard free kick after 11 minutes but apart from that the Lichties struggled to trouble the Dark Blues defence.
Dundee took the lead after 19 minutes from Fin Robertson’s corner on the right. Antonio Portales headed on and Scott TIFFONEY nodded a header past keeper Robbie Hemsley from almost underr the crossbar.
The Dark Blues grew in confidence after taking the lead and added a second goal from a beautiful move down the right. Josh Mulligan, Lyall Cameron and Curtis Main were boxed in on the half way line but worked a quick sequence of passes that gave Cameron space to sweep a lovely pass over the top of the Arbroath defence for Mulligan to race into the penalty area. His low pass across goal was tucked home by TIFFONEY from little further out than his first goal. It’s not the distance that counts – it’s being there when it matters!
Dundee continued to control the game with some pleasing football. Fin Robertson missed narrowly from 18 yards. Tiffoney had the ball in the net a third time, turning Main’s header in from close range, but was judged to be offside. McCowan brought a good save from Hemfrey after another sweetly crafted attack.
At half time Dundee made seven changes, with only Mulligan, Astley, Fin Robertson and McCowan staying on the park. The Dark Blues never enjoyed the same control in the second half. Nevertheless, they quickly put the game beyond the Lichties’ reach after 49 minutes.
Fin Robertson’s corner was met with a powerful header by Luke Graham. Hemfrey pulled off a great save but was helpless when Max ANDERSON followed up to head in the third goal.
Seb Palmer-Houlden almost turned in another dangerous corner from Robertson but his effort was scrambled clear.
Midway through the second half Dundee sent on more youngsters. Fin Robertson was the only Dee to play the full match but he now moved to central midfield. Cammy Kerr, playing in the middle of the back three, was the only defender or wing back with first team experience.
Arbroath pulled a goal back when Dundee switched off briefly. A high ball out to the right wing caught out the Dark Blues and the resulting cross broke kindly for Innes MURRAY, who thrashed a low shot from 18 yards into the corner of Trevor Carson’s goal.
Dundee immediately sent on three more youngsters. Fin Robertson was the only Dee to play the full match but he now moved to central midfield. Cammy Kerr, playing in the middle of the back three, was the only defender or wing back with first team experience. The youthful defence handled the last 25 minutes well and Arbroath never looked like exploiting their inexperience.
The rest of the game was scrappy, with plenty of hard running and enthusiasm, but no end product. Zak Rudden was unlucky when he smashed a fierce shot across goal and off the far post. Ex-Dee Jack Wilkie went close at the other end with a late header from a corner. Apart from those close calls the last 20 minutes drifted by with little in the way of incident.
The Dark Blues were too good for the Lichties in the first half and the game only became truly competitive in the second half Dundee fielded a very youthful and inexperienced team. Of the new signings Jon McCracken had little to do, but appeared very comfortable with the ball at his feet and making passes. Clark Robertson was solid and gave nothing away. Seb Palmer-Houlden had little opportunity to show what he could do during a second half in which Dundee couldn’t find the passes or crosses to get him into the game. He never stopped harassing the home defence and making a nuisance of himself, however.
Without being spectacular this was a decent work-out to get the players back into action. It will be very different, and probably a lot tougher, in a few weeks when Dundee return to Gayfield in the Premier Sports Cup.
Arbroath FC 4-2-3-1
Hemfery (Trialist 65)
Bisland, Hamilton, O’Brien (Steele 65), Wilkie
Slater, Callachan (Walker 62)
Murray, Trialist, Dow
Reilly (Stowe 62)
Unused subs: none.
Goal: Murray (66).
Booked: none.
Dundee FC 1st half 3-5-2
McCracken
Astley, Portales, Clark Robertson
Mulligan, Cameron, Sylla, McCowan, Fin Robertson
Main, Tiffoney
Dundee FC 2nd half 3-5-2
Carson
Astley (Lochead 65), Kerr, Graham
Mulligan (Clark 65), Richardson, Anderson, McCowan (Sweenie-Rowe 65), Fin Robertson
Rudden, Palmer-Houlden
Unused substitutes: Legzdins (gk), Sharp (gk), Lorimer, Davies-Browne, Leiper.
Goals: Tiffoney (19, 26), Anderson (49).
Booked: none.
Attendance: 1,836 (1,043 Dees).
Report: James Christie.
