Dundee gave the fans an entertaining start to the pre-season campaign with a 5-1 win in the sunshine away to Brechin City. A strong Dee starting 11 ran up a 3-0 lead by half time with two goals from Scott Tiffoney and one from Max Anderson. A youthful Dee team completed the last half hour and the youngsters more than held their own. Ewan Loudon pulled a goal back for City, but the Dee added two more goals in the last 10 minutes from Jacob Jones, a trialist left back, and Finlay Allan.
The Dark Blues started the match positively and went on to dominate the first half showing plenty of attacking threat. Scott Tiffoney set the pattern when he flashed a shot narrowly wide after Zak Rudden took advantage of a defensive mix up.
Brechin repeatedly put themselves in trouble trying to play out from the back against the Dee’s pressing. Rudden shot over from 20 yards aftter City lost the ball again deep in their own half.
Brechin’s best effort of the first half was a low free kick from 25 yards by Grady McGrath. Adam Legzdins did well to tip the shot round the post.
Cammy Kerr almost scored with a canny lob from wide on the right that flew over the head of keeper Lenny Wilson and came back off the crossbar. A cross? No! Surely Cammy meant it!
Dundee took a deserved lead after 19 minutes. Luke McCowan sent TIFFONEY clear to score from 12 yards. It was a fine goal – a lovely pass and a finish to match.
Tiffoney remained a constant threat on the left and threated to grab a second only to be foiled by a great tackle by Euan Spark as he was about to shoot.
The second goal did arrive after 36 minutes. Max Anderson found TIFFONEY in space on the left. Instead of heading straight for goal the wide man checked inside onto his right foot and drilled a lot shot inside the near post from 18 yards.
Tiffoney should have completed his hat trick when Rudden and Mulligan opened up the Brechin defence. With only the keeper to beat Tiffoney shot inches wide from 10 yards.
On the stroke of half time the Dee scored number three. Rudden met Jones’ pass with a clever backheel flick that sent ANDERSON through the middle to curl a composed finish into the top corner.
Dundee made four substitutions at half time. Harry Sharp came on in goal, Jack Wilkie replaced Lee Ashcroft in central defence, and Shaun Byrne and Finlay Robertson came into the midfield to replace Max Anderson and Josh Mulligan.
Wilkie came close to a goal from a corner when he powered a header a foot over the bar. Rudden shot narrowly over after good work on the left from Tiffoney as Dundee continued to dominate.
On the hour mark the Dee made six further substitutions sending on youngsters to replace all the senior players who had started, with the exception of trialist Jacob Jones.
The mass change took the momentum out of the Dee for a few minutes and Brechin had their best spell of the game. On 69 minutes Fraser McLeod forced his way into the box from the left. Sharp blocked, but Ewan Loudon followed up to score.
The young Dees responded well and started to take the game to Brechin again, threatening to add to their lead. With 10 minutes to go Dundee won a free kick 25 yards out. Trialist JONES took the kick and curled in a neat low finish to make it 4-1.
Brechin almost pulled a quick goal back when Grady McGrath broke through the middle only to pull his shot wide.
The young Dark Blues added a fine fifth goal at the end after Ewan Mutale beat his marker on the half way line and ran through the middle. Instead of shooting he drew the last man and played in Ross Clark. Substitute keeper Jamie McCabe saved but was helpless when Finlay ALLAN followed up to tap the ball home.
This was a good outing for the team with the players getting worthwhile game time, scoring a few pleasing goals, and offering the fans some summer entertainment at the end of the close season.
Brechin City 4-4-2
Wilson (gk)
Spark, Martin, McHattie, Trialist5 (Trialist15 63)
Moreland (Trialist14 75), Patrick (McArthur65), MacLeod, McDonald (Mudie at half time)
McGrath, Loudon (Trialist17 75)
Goal: Loudon (67).
Booked: none.
Unused subs: none.
Dundee FC (first 60 minutes) 4-2-3-1
Legzdins (Sharp at half time)
Kerr, Shaughnessy, Ashcroft (Wilkie at half time), Trialist
Cameron, Anderson (Byrne at half time)
McCowan, Mulligan (Robertson at half time), Tiffoney
Rudden
Dundee FC (from 60 minutes) 4-4-2
Sharp
Lamb, Crowther, Wilkie, Trialist
Clark, Byrne, Robertson, Barnett
Mutale, Allan
Unused substitutes: Murray, Richardson.
Goals: Tiffoney (19, 36), Anderson (45), Trialist (80), Allan (89).
Booked: none.
Attendance: 1,527.
Referee: Andy Gamble. Assistants: Gordon Crawford, Duncan McLullich.
Report: James Christie.
