Dundee ran out as comfortable 2-0 winners at Cove Rangers this afternoon with goals in each half from Lyall Cameron and Lee Ashcroft. Cameron gave the Dee a deserved lead on the stroke of half time and Ashcroft made it two from a slick corner routine after an hour. The Dark Blues managed the game professionally in the last half hour, ensuring that the home side were given no chance to fight back.
There were two changes to the Dundee team that lost to Partick on Tuesday. Cammy Kerr and Barry Maguire were both injured and replaced by Sam Fisher and Ben Williamson.
The Dee started brightly, doing all the attacking in the opening 20 minutes but without creating enough in the Cove penalty area or even forcing home keeper Scott Fox into making a save. At times the Dark Blues were over elaborate, passing neatly around the final third without any end product.
One quick move down the left resulted in Luke Hannant crossing for Paul McMullan whose low shot was blocked. Another good attack down the right ended in Lyall Cameron’s fierce cross striking a defender and flying across goal.
After being pushed back into their own half for much of the first half Cove came into the game and started to get in amongst the Dee defence. There was the occasional worrying moment for the more nervous supporters, but no real chances, or the need for Adam Legzdins to make a save.
In the last 10 minutes of the half the Dee moved up a gear and started to give Cove real problems, forcing Scott Fox into serious action in the home goal. Hannant crossed for Jordan McGhee to power a header that seemed sure to find the back of the net but Fox saved superbly. The keeper reacted quickly to save again from McMullan’s follow up. The resulting corner broke to Cameron and Fox again saved well from the youngster’s 18 yard shot.
Finally the Dark Blues took the lead in first half injury time. McGhee went for Hannant’s cross, couldn’t win in but stopped the defence clearing. CAMERON picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and his shot took a deflection to loop over Fox and into th net.
Cove started the second half with plenty of energy but the Dark Blue defence held steady and prevented the home side getting a clear sight of goal.
With fewer attacks Dundee were still the more dangerous side from a series of fast breaks. Frustratingly they couldn’t finish any of these off but one of them brought a corner from which the Dee scored the vital second goal just before the hour mark.
The Dark Blues worked a clever corner routine to set up the goal. McMullan played the ball low and short along the byline. Ben Williamson dashed into space to collect the ball and whip a low cross into the goalmouth for Lee ASHCROFT to crack home goal number two.
From then on the Dee were comfortable and managed the game to its conclusion without any alarms or stress for the fans. There could perhaps have been further goals. It always felt much more likely that the Dee would score more than Cove would dig their way back into the game.
Midway through the half Dundee made three substitutions, sending on Jordan Marshall, Josh Mulligan and Alex Jakubiak for Ryan Clampin, Lyall Cameron and Zach Robinson.
Almost immediately Hannant came close to a third when he took McMullan’s pass, checked onto his right foot and flashed a shot across goal and past the far post.
The Dee continued to control the game, fending off Cove’s attacks and attacking with menace on the break. Luke McCowan and Max Anderson came on for the last 10 minutes, adding fresh energy to the Dee. Anderson burst through the middle and fed Jakubiak who cut inside to shoot, but Fox saved.
Cove’s only moment of danger in the second half came when substitute Tony Weston sent an angled shot across goal and wide. The game ended with the Dark Blues in charge and pushing for a third goal.
This was a solid and professional performance to give the Dee their first competive win at the Balmoral Stadium. It might not have been spectacular, but a comfortable two goal win with a clean sheet was exactly what was required after the recent disappointing run.
The players did their job all over the park, working hard to make life difficult for the home defence, enforcing control in midfield and building attacks, and always defending solidly. The defence’s performance was particularly pleasing. The Dee were tough, resolute and composed all along the back. Adam Legzdins did not have to make a single save, for which he should thank a back four that gave Dundee the solid platform from which to go on and take three well deserved points.
Cove Rangers 4-2-3-1
Fox
Naismith, Neill, Reynolds (c), Longridge
Vigurs, Bangala (Virtanen 79)
Longstaff (Weston 79) , Touré (Dunne 64), O’Halloran
McIntosh
Unused subs: Gourla (gk), Logan, Ross, Glass.
Booked: Vigurs (foul on Fisher).
Dundee FC 4-1-4-1
Legzdins
Fisher, Ashcroft, Sweeney (c), Clampin (Marshall 66)
Williamson (Anderson 81)
McMullan, McGhee, Cameron (Mulligan 66), Hannant (McCowan 81)
Robinson (Jakubiak 66)
Unused subs: Sharp (gk), Byrne, Robertson, Anderson.
Goals: Cameron (45+1), Ashcroft (59).
Booked: Clampin (foul on Longstaff), Sweeney (foul on O’Halloran).
Referee: Calum Scott. Assistant: Alastair Mather, Barry Reid.
Attendance: 1.561.
Report: James Christie.
