Dundee moved three points clear at the top of the Championship with a straightforward 3-1 win over Raith Rovers at the Kilmac Stadium tonight. The Dark Blues were always in control and Rovers couldn’t cope with the Dee’s confident attacking. The three goals were shared by the two strikers. Zach Robinson gave Dundee a half time lead and made it two early in the second half. Alex Jakubiak scored the third before William Akio grabbed a consolation goal for Raith.
The Dark Blues made one change to the team that drew at Arbroath. Zach Robinson started, replacing Paul McMullan who was on the bench.
Dundee were on the attack straight from the kick off and got their first shot away inside 40 seconds. Luke Hannant linked neatly with Jordan Marshall who crossed for Luke McCowan whose goalbound volley was blocked.
A slick move through the middle ended with McCowan’s through pass to Lyall Cameron racing into the penalty area but for once the youngster’s touch let him down.
Lee Ashcroft’s headed down into the goalmouth from a corner only for Rovers to scramble the ball clear.
Without being quite at their best the Dee were still creating promising openings and a goal looked on the cards.
Josh Mulligan headed into the side netting from a Hannant cross as Dundee continued to threaten.
Following a brisk opening 20 minutes the Dark Blues went through a flat spell in the middle of the half. For several minutes neither side could keep possession. The two midfields played pass the parcel with a ball that nobody wanted to hold and hug.
After 29 minutes Dundee snapped back into action, opened up the Raith defence and opened the scoring. Following a throw on the right Mulligan found Zach ROBINSON who swapped passes with bewildering speed with Alex Jakubiak, before running clear to poke the ball past the advancing keeper and into the net.
From then on it was clear the points would stay in Dundee. The Dee never relinquished their control of the game and were always a threat when they had the ball.
McCowan played a deep cross beyond the far post where Hannant tried to set up Lyall Cameron for a tap in, but his header was too close to the keeper.
Hannant was involved in a series of attacks down the left, and he sent a snapshot from 20 yards past the angle of post and bar.
On the stroke of half time Dundee should have scored a second. Mulligan stormed his way down the right, brushing off a couple of challenges. Cameron mishit his shot from the cross but set up Robinson who scooped a great chance over the bar.
The second half continued in the same vein with Dundee attacking and Rovers struggling to stay in the game without offering any threat themselves in attack.
Jakubiak swung at a Mulligan cross, failed to connect cleanly, but almost set up Robinson. Keeper Thomson reacted quickly to beat the Dee striker to the ball.
Seven minutes into the second half the Dark Blues took a deserved two goal lead.
McCowan flighted a lovely teasing cross from the right into the goalmouth. The defence seemed to think it would sail harmlessly through to the keeper, but Zach ROBINSON nipped in to turn the ball home for number two.
Dundee continued to attack convincincly, down both wings and through the middle. At times the moves might have been over elaborate against a defence that was struggling to cope with the two strikers and potent raiding from the wings. It was good to watch, however.
Finally the third goal arrived after 75 minutes. For the umpteenth time Marshall and Hannant combined on the left. Hannant’s pass sent Cameron to the byline where he cut the ball back for Alex JAKUBIAK to smash a low shot into the net from seven yards.
Disappointingly Dundee did not go on to take another clean sheet. Two minutes later a corner was not defended cleanly. There was a scramble and William AKIO bundled home from close range.
There was not even a hint of a fightback from Rovers as the Dark Blues cruised to the final whistle. A series of Dark Blue substitutions did nothing to weaken Dundee’s dominance. Paul McMullan should really have done better than sky his finish after a marvellous run and pass by Marshall.
The most noteworthy incident in the final stages was a worrying injury to Jordan McGhee in stoppage time that required treatment. The midfielder was then replaced by Barry Maguire.
Dundee did exactly what was required of them tonight in miserable conditions as they played their game in hand over the teams behind them. They were always the better team all over the park. Their clever attacking, making impressive use of the wings, and excellent interplay between the two strikers, was too much for Rovers.
Dundee’s attacking approach threatened to bring goals every time the Dee attacked. The formation might have been nominally 4-4-2, but with the full backs pushing forward to support adventurous, and highly effective wingers, Dundee were often playing 2-4-4. Raith simply couldn’t cope with that or stop Dundee continually getting dangerous balls into the box.
This was the 16th time in all competitions this season that Dundee have scored three or more goals. There are only four games left, and if the Dee can maintain their current form, scoring regularly, and staying solid at the back they will be hard to catch.
Dundee FC 4-4-2
Legzdins
Mulligan, Ashcroft, Sweeney (c), Marshall
McCowan (Reedy 86), McGhee (Maguire 90+1), Cameron (Byrne 86) , Hannant
Jakubiak (Thomas 84), Robinson (McMullan 84)
Unused subs: Lawlor (gk), Williamson, Fisher, Clampin.
Goals: Robinson (29, 52), Jakubiak (75).
Booked: Jakubiak (foul on Stanton), Sweeney (forcible objection to a foul on Cameron).
Raith Rovers 4-1-4-1
Thomson
McGill (Young 76), Brown (c), Nolan, Ngwenya
Stanton
Connolly, Easton, Vaughan, McBride (Ross 64)
Akio
Unused subs: McNeil (gk), Spencer.
Goal: Akio (77).
Booked: McGill (foul on Marshall), Ngwenya (foul on Cameron), Easton (foul on Cameron), Vaughan (foul on Cameron).
Referee: Greg Aitken. Assistants: Frank Connor,
Colin McAlpine.
Attendance: 5,009 (125 Rovers supporters).
Report: James Christie.
