Zach Robinson scored the goals that gave Dundee a well deserved 2-0 win against in form Raith Rovers at the Kilmac Stadium today. The Dark Blues had to cope with wretched luck in a goalless first half during which they lost both central midfielders to injury. Robinson was astonishingly unfortunate not to score in the first half but gave the Dark Blues the lead from the penalty spot at the start of the second half and quickly added a second. The Dee went on to dominate the rest of the game and could easily have won by more.
The Dark Blues made two changes to the team that started in the win at Partick Thistle last week. Max Anderson and Zach Robinson replaced Luke McCowan and Derick Osei after impressing as second half substitutes. Zak Rudden, who also put in a fine performance as a subbie, was injured.
Dundee again deployed a three man defence, with Cammy Kerr and Tyler French pushing forward as wing backs. Paul McMullan played mostly through the middle alongside Zach Robinson, rather than on the right wing, and Josh Mulligan was in the hole between the central midfielders and strikers. Max Anderson and Joe Grayson were the central midfielders, but fate was not kind to the pair today.
Rovers started on the front foot and were the more composed team for the first 20 minutes. The Dee had a few promising moves and crosses but Raith offered the greater threat. Kyle Connell headed narrowly wide into the side netting and Scott Brown went close from 20 yards after Dylan Easton was allowed to run too far through the midfield.
Dundee had to make a change when they lost Joe Grayson to injury after only 18 minutes. Shaun Byre was a straight replacement from the bench.
Dundee were freakishly unlucky not to take the lead midway through the half. Zach Robinson forced his way past Connor O’Riordan and went down under a challenge inside the penalty area. He managed to retain the ball and get back on his feet. The defence was back covering, but Robinson made space to shoot against the inside of the post. The ball rebounded against keeper Jamie MacDonald, hit the inside of the opposite post and trickled along the goalline before being cleared.
The Dark Blues had more dreadful luck when Max Anderson had to be substituted with a head knock after 28 minutes. Ben Williamson replaced him.
Within a minute Robinson again went close. He turned O’Riordan superbly and hammered a rising shot towards the top corner that brought a fine save from MacDonald. From the resulting corner Robinson headed over after Rovers struggled to clear a ball flying to and fro through the goalmouth.
Dundee continued to create more danger and Paul McMullan forced another decent save from MacDonald with a low 25 yarder.
After a slow start the Dark Blues overcame misfortune to finish the half on top and should have been in the lead before half time.
After the restart the fans did not have to wait long for the first goal. Ben Williamson’s fierce rising shot from 20 yards struck the outstretched arm of Scott Brown and Zach ROBINSON tucked the resulting penalty away.
The Dee were on fire and almost added a quick second. Josh Mulligan raced away down the right, cut inside and his low ball across goal evaded both McMullan and Robinson.
The pressure on the Rovers defence was relentless and five minutes after opening the scoring Zach Robinson made it two. McMullan played a corner to the far post where Ryan Sweeney headed down for ROBINSON to shoot. MacDonald saved superbly, but the striker responded instantly to lash the loose ball into the roof of the net.
Two minutes later Raith passed up their best and last chance of the match. Kieran Ngwenya got past Tyler French on the left. His cutback found Brown, who blazed wildly over from 15 yards. Raith were never as close to scoring again and Dundee’s firm grip on the game was never threatened in the remaining 37 minutes of play.
Mulligan twice, McMullan and Kerr all had a go but either narrowly missed or were foiled by Jamie MacDonald, the overworked Rovers keeper. Robinson should maybe have completed his hat trick when he headed wide from Cammy Kerr’s cross at the end of a beautiful move featuring a defence splitting pass from Williamson.
After 86 minutes Dundee replace the front three. Mulligan, McMullan and Robinson departed to a standing ovation, and Lyall Cameron, Derick Osei and Cillian Sheridan played out the remaining eight minutes. The substitutes threw themselves energetically into the action as Dundee created some promising late opportunities that they could not convert into goals.
The supporters enjoyed the Dee’s energetic and sometimes stylish attacking in the second half. Dundee would certainly have been worth at least a third goal, but a 2-0 win against the Championship’s form team was a very pleasing result. A clean sheet was also welcome and the defence can feel pleased with their performance.
When Dundee clicked today they always looked like scoring as they attacked Raith with real menace. Mulligan’s aggressive running at the Rovers defence was a constant threat. Robinson’s display of classic centre forward play gave the Rovers defenders a tough afternoon. McMullan’s speed and invention always posed problems. The replacement central defenders, Ben Williamson and Shaun Byrne made a real statement that this was where they belonged. It was a very good all round team performance.
Last week’s second half in the comeback against Partick showed the standard the Dee can reach and must maintain. For the last 70 minutes today the Dark Blues reached that level of performance. More of the same please!
Dundee FC 3-4-1-2
Lawlor
McGhee, Sweeney (c), Ashcroft
French, Anderson (Williamson 28), Grayson (Byrne 18), Kerr
Mulligan (Cameron 86)
Robinson (Sheridan 86), McMullan (Osei 86)
Unused subs: Legzdins (gk), Jakubiak, McCowan, Robertson.
Goals: Robinson (49 pen, 54).
Booked: Byrne (foul on Vaughan).
Raith Rovers 4-2-3-1
MacDonald
Millen, O’Riordan, Dick (Nolan 86), Ngwenya
Brown (c) (Vaughan 62), Spencer
Connolly, Stanton, Easton (Fredieriksen 76)
Connell
Unused subs: McNeil (gk), McBride, Coulson, Masson.
Booked: Brown (handball), Dick (foul on McGhee).
Referee: Grant Irvine. Assistants: Paul O’Neill, Steven Wilson.
Attendance: 5,022 (741 Rovers supporters).
Report: James Christie.
