A 2-0 win at Arbroath gave Dundee their second successive group D game in the Premier Sports Cup tonight. A penalty early in the second half by Luke McCowan and a late goal by Ethan Ingram earned the Dark Blues a deserved win. However, despite the Dee’s superiority they needed two big saves by Jon McCracken to keep their clean sheet and take full points. The keeper saved an early penalty kick superbly and made another fine save late in the first half. Once Dundee were in the lead they managed the game well and saw the match out comfortably when Ingram gave them the crucial two goal lead.
Unsurprisingly Tony Docherty chose to send out an unchanged Dark Blue team following the emphatic win over Bonnyrigg on Saturday.
Like Saturday Dundee started quickly and almost scored an early goal. A fast attack down the right ended with Scott Tiffoney’s close range shot from Ethan Ingram’s low cross striking a defender and flying over the crossbar.
That promising start was almost undone when the Dee carelessly conceded a penalty after only six minutes. The defence failed to clear Arbroath’s first attack near the right corner flag and Mo Sylla caught Innes Murray with a late tackle just inside the penalty area. Murray took the spot kick himself, but Jon McCracken saved magnificently at full stretch.
The first half was a story of the two keepers because Arbroath’s Aidan McAdams frustrated the Dark Blues with a string of fine saves. Twice Dundee played their way smoothly through the middle to send Luke McCowan clear, but each time his well struck rising shots were saved impressively by McAdams.
Antonio Portales was unlucky when his header from a corner came back off the post. When the Lichties couldn’t clear another corner Ryan Astley turned smartly to shoot but again McAdams saved well.
Dundee worked their way repeatedly into good positions but couldn’t find the right final passes or shots to set up good chances in open play. When McCowan did get it right with a lovely cross into the goalmouth neither Curtis Main nor Scott Tiffoney could finish and the Lichties escaped.
After a long spell of domination the Dark Blues eased off and were almost punished for another fleeting moment of slackness at the back. Ryan Dow was allowed space to cross. The ball broke to Innes Murray and it took a second tremendous save by McCracken to spare the defence embarrassment.
Dundee responded strongly in the last few minutes of the half. Main ran onto Fin Robertson’s long pass and nudged the ball past the keeper only to see his shot cleared off the line. McAdams ended the half with yet another fine save to keep out Sylla’s header from the resulting corner.
Sylla again went close from a corner at the start of the second half but his looping header dropped just over the bar.
The Dark Blues were relieved to get the chance to break the deadlock when they were awarded a penalty five minutes after the restart. As with Arbroath’s penalty it was entirely avoidable. Tom O’Brien misjudged a long punt down the field by Astley. Tiffoney raced onto the loose ball and was bundled over just inside the penalty area. Luke McCOWAN tucked the penalty away neatly for his first goal of the season.
Dundee took charge of the game and constantly threatened to add to their lead. A lovely McCowan run along the byline gave Cameron and then Robertson shooting chances, but each time their efforts were blocked.
Following 10 minutes of total Dee dominance Arbroath came out of their shell and gave Dundee a tricky short spell. Ingram made a great penalty box blocking challenge to snuff out a possible Arbroath chance, and the Lichties then had a few corners in quick succession.
The Dark Blues soon reasserted control and three substitutions gave them fresh impetus. Seb Palmer-Houlden, Josh Mulligan and Simon Murray came on for Curtis Main, Lyall Cameron and Scott Tiffoney.
After 78 minutes Dundee tied the game up with a well worked second goal. Mulligan showed great strength and determination to break clear in midfield despite being fouled. He freed McCowan to race along the byline and pass to Murray whose shot brought out another good save by McAdams. The keeper was helpless when Ethan INGRAM followed up to crash the loose ball high into the net for his first goal for the Dee. Referee Chris Graham deserves credit for playing the advantage and only booking Innes Murray after the Dee had scored for his foul on Mulligan.
The rest of the game was comfortable for Dundee. They held the ball well, and kept attacking and probing for further goals without taking any chances at the back.
This was a tough match for Dundee against hard working and well organised opponents. Apart from a couple of dodgy moments the Dee managed the game very well. Perhaps they didn’t create as many good chances as they could have done from midfield dominance and relentless good passing and movement, but the goals did come in the end. Arbroath were under relentless pressure and deserve plenty of credit for frustrating the Dee for long spells.
For Dundee Jon McCracken was excellent in goal. He had little to do apart from those two big saves, but the game would have been very different if he had not made them. His composure and distribution were good, and the whole defence was composed and effective apart from the two moments when McCracken had to bail them out. The defence looked comfortable playing out from the back and combined well with the midfield.
The strikers worked hard but didn’t have much luck tonight and the attacking substitutions made exactly the sort of impact the manager would have been hoping for. All round it was a good performance, but with room for improvement.
This wasn’t as spectacular a win as Saturday’s thrashing of Bonnyrigg but it was a very different and far more challenging game at a ground where Dundee teams have struggled, and failed, to win in recent years. After two away games in the Premier Sports Cup the Dee can now look forward to two home games at Brechin to finish their group D campaign.
Arbroath FC 3-4-2-1
McAdams
Stewart, O’Brien (c), Hamilton
Bisland, Slater, Callaghan (Spalding 58), Wilkie
Gold (Gallagher 73, Murray
Dow
Unused subs: Hemfrey (gk), Steele, Stowe, Walker.
Booked: Murray (foul on Mulligan).
Dundee FC 3-1-4-2
McCracken
Astley, McGhee, Portales
Sylla
Ingram, McCowan (c), Cameron (Mulligan 72), Fin Robertson
Main (Palmer-Houlden 61), Tiffoney (Murray 72)
Unused substitutes: Carson (gk), Sharp (gk), Anderson, Graham, Richardson, Lochhead.
Goals: MCowan (50 pen), Ingram (78).
Booked: none.
Referee: Chris Graham. Assistants: Andy Spence, Chris Gentles.
Attendance: 1,776.
Report: James Christie.
