Dundee secured a place in the quarter finals of the Premier Sports Cup with a 3-0 victory at the Kilmac Stadium over Falkirk. All the goals came in the second half, from Lyall Cameron, Lee Ashcroft and a Zach Robinson penalty. The Bairns gave Dundee some tricky moments but the Dark Blues had the edge over their League One opponents and finished as comfortable winners.
Lee Ashcroft returned to the starting eleven for the first time since March. Ben Williamson, Zach Robinson and Lyall Cameron also started. These four replaced Jordan Marshall, Luke McCowan and Zak Rudden, who were injured, and Paul McGowan, who was on the bench.
The Dark Blues were first to offer any threat created and created two early openings. Lyall Cameron won the ball in midfield and sent Zach Robinson clear at an angle, but his shot was straight at keeper Nicky Hogarth.
Robinson had another half chance after Ben Williamson’s run along the byline. This time his shot was blocked.
Cammy Kerr shot into the side netting after Cameron sent Williamson into the penalty area.
The Bairns’ midfield was open and the Dundee midfielders were able to find space in front of the Falkirk defence. However, too often promising moves fizzled out with poor decisions in the final third.
Falkirk might have been vulnerable in their own half but when they attacked they looked dangerous till the moment came to get a shot away. The Dee defence was always on hand to block. Kerr put in a vital last ditch challenge on Morrison.
Cameron cut out a pass from Mackie, but with the Falkirk defence wide open, the youngster chose to run on rather than sending Robinson in on goal. His shot from 18 yards was narrowly past the post.
Dundee might have been on top but Falkirk went close late in the half. Donaldson’s low cross was turned against the outside of the near post by Lee Ashcroft.
After half time the Dark Blues found extra sharpness and injected greater urgency into their attacking. It soon brought rewards.
A fine run by Cameron through the midfield gave Williamson space 20 yards from goal, but his powerful shot was straight at the keeper.
The opening goal came a minute later when Dundee produced the right finish to a promising opening. Zach Robinson judged his pass perfectly to send Lyall CAMERON in on goal and score with a neat finish across Hogarth.
Falkirk responded with a busy 10 minute spell in which they buzzed around in the Dee half, but without getting through to trouble Harry Sharp.
When the Dark Blues returned to the attack they chose to play a clever passing move from a free kick rather than hoisting the ball into the goalmouth. Cameron’s beautiful pass inside the left back allowed Williamson to cross from the byline, but Lee Ashcroft lashed the chance high into the Shankly.
Midway through the second half Dundee lost Joe Grayson with an injury. He was replaced by Jordan McGhee.
After struggling to get dangerous balls into the Dee goalmouth Falkirk managed it twice in 30 seconds. Hetherington got free on the left, but his cross was headed out by Kerr. Morrison followed up with a second cross that was begging for a scoring touch, but substitute Oluwasegun Lawal couldn’t make a clean connection at full stretch and the chance was gone.
That was the Bairns first and last moment of real danger in the second half. They paid dearly for failing to take advantage.
Strangely, for all the Dee’s attacking they did not win a corner until the 79th minute. Paul McMullan sent over a delivery that was designed for Lee ASHCROFT to do what he has done so often. He duly climbed high and powered his header into the roof of the net.
The second goal settled the game and it was no surprise when the Dark Blues added a third. Falkirk couldn’t clear a corner and Jordan McGhee’s shot was cleared off the line by Gary Oliver. Referee Colin Steven decided he had used his arm illegally, produced his red card, and Zach ROBINSON scored from the spot.
This was Dundee’s 16th league cup goal in five matches. They have scored three or more in four of those games.
In the end this was a comfortable win for the Dee against awkward opponents who at times, especially in the first half, looked as if they belonged in a higher division.
Dundee deserved the win because they had a significant edge where it mattered. The Dark Blues were able to create better chances and kill off Falkirk in the second half, whereas the Bairns struggled to break through the Dee defence. The young players, Williamson, Cameron and Robinson, who were introduced to the starting eleven all made good contributions in attack.
It took a while for the Dee to click into gear and play with the sharpness they needed to win the tie, but once they did there was little doubt about the outcome.
Dundee FC 4-2-3-1
Sharp
French (Robertson 90), Sweeney (c), Ashcroft (Anderson 90), Kerr
Williamson, Grayson (McGhee 72)
McMullan, Cameron (McGowan 90), Mulligan (McGinn 78)
Robinson
Unused subs: Legzdins (gk), Strachan.
Goals: Cameron (55), Ashcroft (79), Robinson (89 pen).
Booked: McMullan (foul on Lawal).
Falkirk 4-2-3-1
Hogarth
McCann, Mackie, Donaldson, Yeats
McGuffie (Lawal 72), Henderson (Hetherington 56)
Oliver, Nesbitt, Morrison
Alegria (Burrell 61)
Unused subs: Martin (gk) Ross, Sneddon, Carroll.
Booked: Hetherington (foul on McMullan).
Sent off: Oliver (denying goal-scoring opportunity).
Attendance: 3,195.
Referee: Colin Steven. Assistants: Daniel McFarlane,
Alastair Mather. Fourth Official: Stewart Luke.
Report: James Christie.
