Derby despair for Dark Blues

Dundee United 3 - 0 Dundee

Kerr 39, Duff 48, Miller 51

IF this is to be the only Dundee derby of season 2005-06, no-one at Dens Park is likely to be complaining overly much.

There were almost as few league points between the two teams last season as metres along Tannadice Street, but the main revelation from the City Of Discovery Cup yesterday is that the distance between the two neighbours is becoming vast.

With 51 minutes on the clock yesterday, and United three quickfire goals either side of half-time to the good, some of the "visiting" fans started to leave the ground - earlier even than some of the 700-odd interlopers from Wolverhampton and Sheffield who had stayed on after the day's first game.

At 10.30am tomorrow morning, Dundee's longrunning appeal to the SFA over the [pounds]15,000 fine which Livingston received for playing Hassan Kachloul as an amateur will be heard, even if a summer of cutbacks means that Jim Duffy would be hard pressed to turn matters around in a week in any case.

The players will all be given a day off, but the Dundee manager admitted last night the first he will know whether their appeal has been successful if agents start to phone him again.

"United have been building a team for the Premierleague and we have been cutting back for the First Division, " Duffy said. "Obviously we are hoping that the decision goes in our favour but I will leave that to the QCs and the directors. It would be a big ask to turn things around in a week now anyway but I don't think I would be complaining about it.

"I think I would find myself inundated by agents, because this is the quietest summer I have ever had. Everybody knows I have no money."

Coming into the game with a squad that was threadbare enough without an injury list which includes Derek Soutar, Steven Robb and Callum McDonald, and which was augmented by Iain Anderson in the course of the proceedings, Duffy had little beef about the result. "You're always disappointed to lose a football match, particularly against your main rivals, " he added.

"They had better players in key areas. Five minutes before half time we lost the goal and then five minutes after half time the game was over but I thought in general we competed well."

Other plus points for Duffy resided in the performance of rookie left-back Paul Dixon, and Adrian Madaschi in central defence. While you fear a little for the Dundee side which takes on Wolves in the wooden spoon play-off at Dens Park this afternoon, there are no such worries about the orange half of the city.

Gordon Chisholm gave his full-strength side the entire 90 minutes yesterday, but admitted afterwards none of the same players will start the final, against Paul Sturrock's Sheffield Wednesday today. The team will mostly consist of fringe players, although it will be a chance to assess former Arsenal goalkeeper Rami Shabaan, who was named as a trialist but found only a place on the bench yesterday.

Jason Scotland got a namecheck from the fans, despite his return to Trinidad after his week-long visitor visa expired, but Chisholm must have been happy with his strikeforce as it was.

Lee Miller scored his second goal of the pre-season, and with Stevie Crawford used in a linking role between midfield and attack, there were at least some signs of the former Bristol City player establishing a partnership with Jim McIntyre.

"It looks like it is going to be Lee and Jim and it takes time to get a bit of understanding, but I think they are starting to get used to each other, " Chisholm said.

All three goals certainly belonged to the SPL. Former Kilmarnock and Livingston goalkeeper Colin Meldrum had lined up as a trialist for Dundee, and was blameless for all three strikes, but any more treatment like this and he may soon think better of it.

Mark Kerr, who showed signs of becoming an accomplished player at the top level at the end of last season, exchanged passes with Grant Brebner and turned sharply, before a break of the ball off a Dundee leg presented him with a chance 22 yards out. He smartly spanked a right-footer high past Meldrum's right hand.

The second was even more eye-catching. Despite popping up with a key goal at Ibrox of all places last term, Stuart Duff is hardly the most recognised of goalscorers. The manner in which he left a couple of men in his wake and cut in from the left wing-back berth to launch asearing drive past Meldrum dispelled that notion. Barry Robson had been omitted from the squad due to injury, and he may just find it difficult to get his place back for the SPL opener against Aberdeen.

Then it was Miller time. The striker's form in the latter part of the season at Hearts took him into the Scotland squad, and when Kerr fed Crawford down the left, he pounced on his cross with alacrity. His leftfoot volley must have singed Meldrum's hair as it flashed past him into the net.

Otherwise, this was a surprisingly sleepy Dundee derby.

United goalkeeper Derek Stillie defied Andy Ferguson and Mark Robertson late on, and Simon Lynch fired miserably wide but, in truth, Dundee didn't deserve a goal.

Whether they deserve a break from the SFA appeals committee is another matter.

Dundee United

Stillie McCracken Ritchie Archibald Wilson Kerr Brebner Duff Crawford Miller McIntyre

Subs not used: Shabaan (trialist), Grady, Kenneth, Samuel, Robertson, Cameron, Callaghan.

Dundee

Meldrum (tr) Smith Mann Madaschi Dixon Swankie Robertson Brady Anderson Ferguson McManus

Subs: Kitamarike for Anderson 45, Hutchinson for Swankie 74, Lynch for McManus 76.

Not used: Murray, Britton (trialist).

Referee: K Toner.

Attendance: 6,695.

Copyright 2005 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
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