Despite the final scoreline Dundee were made to work for their win against a competitive Arbroath side at Gayfield on Sunday afternoon.
The Dark Blues made one change from the team that lost to Airdrie last week, Jack Neave replacing Gary Duggan. That meant that more than half of the team still qualified for the Under 17s.
The game started slowly and it wasn’t until the 17th minute that the first chance came along, Josh Skelly’s header from a Lee Cameron cross being cleared by Arbroath’s Andy Hampton.
Lichties striker Pat Madden almost gave his side the lead with a shot that Dundee goalkeeper John Bonnar managed to tip round the post for a corner.
As the home side took a grip on the match Madden then headed wide a Dale Robertson cross and Robertson also tested Bonnar with a low drive.
A strong run up the right wing by full back Ben Sivewright relieved the pressure but his tempting ball into the box found no takers.
With 10 minutes left of a fairly evenly-contested first half Lichties keeper Leonard Wilson could only parry a Skelly cross and Cameron pounced to prod the ball home from a couple of yards out.
Max Avolio then set up Thomas Carberry whose shot failed to trouble Wilson.
The visitors did, though, increase their lead two minutes before half time. Carberry held off three defenders before feeding a great ball into John Black who sent his shot across the keeper and into the far corner.
HT: Arbroath 0 Dundee 2
Carberry showed a great piece of skill when he flicked the ball over the head of Kyle Findlater but his shot failed to complement the build-up.
Five minutes into the second period Cammy Black had to come up with a saving tackle when Chris Scott was about to pull the trigger. The ball fell to danger man Robertson, but Bonnar reacted quickly to beat the shot away.
On 58 minutes Dundee went three up. Skelly was the architect, cutting inside from the left before setting up Avolio who gave the home keeper no chance with a fierce shot high into the net.
Five minutes later it was four. With Arbroath claiming a hand ball on the edge of the Dundee box, the Dark Blues broke upfield. Cameron passed to Carberry who picked his spot and rolled the ball into the goal.
The home side pulled one back just a couple of minutes later when they were awarded a penalty. In a goalmouth scramble Robertson was upended by Sivewright. The winger took the spot kick himself and gave Bonnar no chance.
Dundee brought on Ross Cunningham for Avolio as Arbroath strove to reduce the leeway. A great ball from the back from Hampton found Robertson in the clear but Bonnar managed to block his shot with his legs.
Carberry found his way into the ref’s book for not retreating at a free kick and Dundee were forced to bring on Matty Allan for the injured Neave as time ticked away.
FT: Arbroath 1 Dundee 4
Arbroath: Wilson, Muir (Lewis 65), Mitchell, Findlater, Hampton, Thompson, Burnett (Fullerton 58), McWalter, Madden, Scott, Robertson.
Dundee: Bonnar, Sivewright, Mollison, C Black, Neave (Allan 84), J Black, Avolio (Cunningham 76), McHardy, Cameron, Carberry, Skelly.
Report: Jim Davie
