Dundee beat Montrose 2-0 in Graham Webster’s testimonial at Links Park this evening. Charlie Reilly’s fine finish gave the Dee a half time lead, and Ethan Crombie scored the second midway through the second half. The Dark Blues fielded different teams for the first hour and the last 30 minutes, with eight substitutions after an hour.
The Dee squad was a mixture of youngsers and first team players who have been mainly on the bench lately. Emile Acquah and Aaron Donnelly were unavailable through illness.
Dundee started confidently and remained on top for the whole of the first half. The first Dee chance came when Callum Jones sent Ash Hay away, but the shot was deflected narrowly wide for a corner.
The Dark Blues won a string of corners and the deliveries, usually from Callum Jones, were better than we have seen lately in league games. Montrose were never comfortable dealing with these and there were a few goalmouth scrambles. Plamen Galabov almost scored from Paul Digby’s knockdown at one of these corners but his volley flew a foot over the bar.
Charlie Reilly was the pick of the Dee team in the first half and his awkward dipping shot from 22 yards almost caught out keeper Ross Matthews, who managed to shovel the ball round the post.
The Lichties’ keeper excelled himself a few minutes later with a superb save from Ash Hay’s close range header after Reilly’s blistering run down the right and fine cross looked sure to produce a goal.
Dundee took a deserved lead in the 23rd minute. Hay won the ball from a dithering defence near the edge of the Montrose penalty and passed sideways for REILLY to score with a precise low shot from 18 yards.
The Dark Blues continued to dominate, launching a series of threatening attacks but never quite managing to turn promising moves into good chances. Montrose worked hard but struggled to get at the Dee defence never mind open them up.
The second half started in the same vein with Dundee unable to break through for a second goal. Just after the hour there was a mass change with eight Dee substitutions. Harry Sharp had come on for Kieran O’Hara in goal at half time, and eight of the outfield players were now replaced. Only Ethan Ingram and Toby Davies-Browne stayed on.
It took only two minutes for the newcomers to claim the second goal. The Dark Blues launched a good attack down the right. Yan Dhanda played a clever backheel to send Ethan Crombie to the byline in the penalty area. The young midfielder smashed a low cross to the near post. Keeper Matthews managed to beat it out and into the air, but CROMBIE reactedd quickly and followed up to send a header looping over the stranded keeper and under the bar.
The testimonial crowd should have been treated to further goals as we saw close things at either end. Harry Sharp had to scramble the ball away from Blair Lyons almost on the goal line as the Lichties’ striker pressed.
After 80 minutes Montrose won a corner and Dundee managed to clear. However, the referee had spotted an infringement in the goalmouth and awarded a corner. Was it a good call or a testimonial present? I’d have to plead the Arsene Wenger defence and claim I didn’t have a clear view!
Of course Graham Webster stepped up to take the penalty but Harry Sharp played the pantomime villain by pulling off a tremendous full length save. That wasn’t quite the script and the home fans certainly let Harry know it!
Imari Samuels came agonisingly close to a late goal at the end of a fine Dee move. Ethan Hamilton worked his way smoothly across the the pitch before sending Joe Westley clear on the right with a fine pass. Westley cracked a fierce low pass across goal and Samuels raced in and lunged at the ball only to turn it over the open goal.
Right at the end Graham Webster was substituted to a standing ovation. It was timed so perfectly that there was no time for anyone to come on as a replacement and the referee blew the final whistle as he left the pitch.
This was a more entertaining and even robust match than many such testimonials. It was played in a competitive spirit, and there would surely have been a few bookings if this had been a league game. Dundee were able to give a good run out to members of the first team squad who needed some game time, and it was good to see youngsters slotted into the team and coping well.
After the game Graham Webster made a short and gracious speech, playing tribute to the club he has served so well, and his teammates, and also thanking Dundee for coming to Links Park and taking the game seriously. Graham himself is also due thanks from all those Dundee supporters who remember that he was one of the Deefiant heroes as an 18 year old in that incredible 2010-11 season. It was a long time ago, but we will never forget those players.
Montrose FC 4-1-4-1
Matthews
Williamson (Freeman 29), Waddell (Dillon at half time), Towler (Bertie at half time), Steeves (Craig 47(Brown 61))
Tidser (Sandilands at half time)
Webster, Clark, Stevenson (Robb 70), Machado (Lyons 53)
May
Booked: none.
Dundee 3-4-3 (till 62nd minute)
Kieran O’Hara (Harry Sharp at half time)
Ethan Ingram, Plamen Galabov, Toby Davies-Browne
Charley Oosenburgh, Paul Digby, Callum Jones, Tony Yogane
Charlie Reilly, Ash Hay, Michael Hunter
Dundee 3-5-2 (from 62nd minute)
Harry Sharp
Ethan Ingram, Ryan Astley, Toby Davies-Browne
Fin Robertson, Ethan Crombie, Ethan Hamilton, Josh Mitchell, Imari Samuels
Yan Dhanda, Joe Westley
Goals: Reilly (23), Crombie (64).
Booked: none.
Report: James Christie.
