Both clubs fielded youthful sides in this Forfarshire Cup-tie at Station Park, Forfar and it was the young Saints who pressed early on.
On seven minutes the ball was cut back to Greg Kerr who looked certain to score but his shot was deflected behind for a corner.
However, the opener was only delayed for a few seconds as Matt Buchanan got his head to a cross only to see his header brilliantly saved by Dundee keeper Kyle Gourlay. Unfortunately for the Dark Blues goalie Buchanan was able to latch on to the rebound and fire it high into the net.
There was further danger for the Dens rearguard when Andy Black was caught out trying to shepherd the ball over the goalline and was dispossessed by Buchanan whose driven ball across the face of goal found no takers.
The Dens youngsters made little headway against a powerful Perth outfit and Gourlay came to their rescue with a fine save from Greg Kerr on the half hour mark.
The nearest Dundee came to threatening the visitors’ goal came just before half time when Lee Cameron raced on to a long ball but keeper Mark Hurst was down at his feet to gather safely.
HT: Dundee 0 St Johnstone 1
Saints opened the second half where they had left off with Scott Wilson forcing Gourlay into a save low down to his left.
Liam Gibb was an early substitution for Ryan Lamond who had taken a knock.
Dundee were much more in the game now and a Black free kick found its way to Lee Cameron whose shot sailed narrowly over the bar.
The Dark Blues should have equalised on 62 minutes when Calvin Colquhoun got his head to a free kick, but the Saints keeper pulled off a point blank save.
Dundee paid for that missed chance three minutes later when Saints scored again. This time a ball cut back from the right wasn’t properly cleared by the Dens defence and Kyle Lander was on to it to fire past Gourlay and into the net.
Cameron tried to hit back with a Cameron free kick that went over but Saints held on comfortably to book their place in the next round.
FT: Dundee 0 St Johnstone 2
Dundee : Gourlay, Black, Allan, Waddell, Lamond (L Gibb 50), Avolio, Cunningham (Steel 85), Colquhoun, Gemmell, Skelly, Cameron.
St Johnstone: Hurst, Evans (Gray 73), Buchanan, Wilson, Stevenson, J Kerr, Thompson, Simpson, G Kerr (Millen 79), Lander, Aitken (Sinclair 73).
Report: Jim Davie.
