The Dark Blues were all in white, while the Tangerines donned their new black centenary strip for the first time. The home side had the first real chance on seven minutes when an error by Eddie Malone set Cadamarteri free inside the box. The Englishman should have tucked his shot away before Dens keeper Derek Soutar had an opportunity to save. Dundee were next to threaten, though, with a deflection taking a Mc-Menamin strike just past the post on 12 minutes. Cadamarteri then ran half the park before laying a perfect cross on for Shala, whose header had Soutar scurrying across his goal. That may have been close but Shala’s next effort definitely hit the target. When Soutar and Darren Dods challenged for a high ball inside the box, neither claimed it and it fell to the feet of the defender. He squar-ed to Shala and the young German poked it over the line from a couple of yards out to make it 1-0 to United. The first of many substitutions was made on 24 minutes, with United replacing the injured Kenneth with Mihael Kovacevic, Sean Dillon moving from right-back to central defence. Shala almost made it two when another header required Soutar to tip the ball around the post, before the Tannadice men had a “goal” ruled out for offside after a Cadamarteri chip was rammed into the net by Danny Swanson. Up at the other end, Dundee got a real goal, pulling themselves level with 34 minutes gone. When Harkins played the ball forward Tangerines’ sub Kovacevic, not on the park for long, let it bounce and that gave too much time and space to Pat Clarke, who produced a fine finish to make it 1-1. That was how it stayed until half-time and when the teams reappeared United had three new faces in their side, with David Robertson, Greg Cameron and Jeno Myrie-Williams replacing Scott Robertson, Buaben and Craig Conway. A Harkins cross had to be cleared by Dillon up at one end before United came close to regaining the lead at the other, with sub Cameron’s great ball in from the left eluding Shala’s boot by an inch at the back post. Both teams made a batch of substitutions after the hour, with United introducing Daly, Keith Watson and Dale Hilson, and Dundee bringing on Craig Forsyth, Michael Hutcheon and Connor Rennie. United appeared to adapt the better to the chopping and changing and they made it 2-1 on 66 minutes. David Robertson’s flick-on sent Cadamarteri racing through the middle of the visitors’ defence and he made sure by blasting the ball past Soutar from just outside the six-yard box. The hosts were on top now and it was no surprise when they made it three on 74 minutes. Cameron played a neat pass out to Dixon on the left flank and the former Dundee man’s excellent delivery was nodded home by the diving Daly, with Soutar able to get a hand to the ball but unable to keep it out of the net. Cadamarteri made way for Kevin Smith and the new boy announced his arrival with a great 30-yard effort that had the fans in the Eddie Thompson Stand on their feet. United had the Dens men on the rack now and Daly had a snap-shot that Soutar palmed away for a corner, then the big Irishman had another go only for the goalie’s save to be even better second time around.
Dundee:Soutar, Paton (Forsyth 65), Malone (Hutcheon 65), Cameron, Benedictus, Lauchlan (Rennie 65), Hart, Young, Clarke, McMenamin (Thomson 84), Harkins. Subs not used: Somerville, Bartlett, Spark.
Att: 7,774
Referee: Callum Thomson.
