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DUNDEE 2 : 1 QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 16th September 2006
Corr
Rating: 6.81
J Thomson
Rating: 4.47
Lauchlan
Rating: 5.50
Henderson
Rating: 5.05
Burns
Rating: 6.75
S1
Scally
Rating: 5.77
S3
Robertson
Rating: 5.82
Mackenzie
Rating: 5.50
McCaffrey
Rating: 5.82
S2
A Thomson
Rating: 5.00
1
O'Neill
Rating: 6.50
SUBSTITUTES
S1 - 57
Henry
Rating: 4.88
S2 - 64
O'Connor
Rating: 5.00
S3 - 70
Callaghan
Rating: 5.00
Gibson
Scott
SUBMIT YOUR mom RATINGS
Members of the Internet Fan Club can award players marks out of ten for their performance today. The player with the most points awarded in the two days following a match will be the IFC Man of the Match. All of the points will then be added to a running total for each player and the results published in the mom League Table.

Name or IFC No.
MATCH SUMMARY
Ian McCall was able to name a slightly stronger squad than recently at Dens Park. Surprisingly both Willie Gibson and Sean O'Connor were passed fit for the bench and duly took their places there. Out went Eric Paton with his stomach problem and also Michael Mullen, out of the squad altogether. In came Jim Thomson and Andy Thomson to the starting eleven. That meant John O'Neill continuing in his auxiliary striker role and Des McCaffrey moving to left wing back instead of the centre half role he occupied at Dingwall. The exciting Barry Callaghan made up the bench along with Colin Scott and John Henry. For the hosts the familiar face of Derek Lyle took his place up front in what looked a strong eleven, particularly at the back.

It was the hosts who made all the running from the start. Needless to say Derek Lyle was the first to show with a curling effort from 25 yards after three minutes which forced a spectacular tip round the post by BJ Corr. However, the danger was only delayed as Gavin Swankie swept in the resulting corner and Bobby Mann rose highest to power a header behind Corr from eight yards.

An early setback for Queens as Mann looks to rise above the defence
Scott Robertson was a lucky boy after six minutes when a dreadful challenge on Alex Rae saw him escape a booking. To be fair the opposing player / manager did him a favour, bouncing straight up and offering a hand rather than retaliation. From the resulting free kick though Swankie swerved a shot narrowly wide of target. Four minutes later it was McLaren's dangerous cross flicked away by Corr but from the resulting corner McLaren's looping header beat Corr but was hooked off the line by Paul Burns at the post. It was one way traffic at this point and on 13 minutes Griffin's cross from the right saw Lyle with a free header on the edge of the six yard box but he flicked it across the face of goal and wide.

The first twenty minutes had seen Queens very rarely out of their own half so it was with some astonishment that we found ourselves level! A break up the right side saw Paul Burns given a crossing position only to kick the ground and fluff his delivery. Scott Robertson wasn't for giving it up though and made what should have been a vain attempt to chase the ball. Incredibly though his namesake Scott Robertson in the Dundee side saw fit to barge him away as Roy collected the ball and referee Chris Boyle had no hesitation in awarding a spot kick. Of course we all know what happens next, John O'Neill steps up and John O'Neill scores.

John O'Neill nets the penalty - from Rob Campbell on the terraces.
Four minutes later Dundee's Robertson's day got worse when he collected a booking for a bad foul on McKenzie, though it was certainly no worse than our Robertson's earlier one on Rae. From the resulting free kick the ball arrived with Paul Burns on the right and he hooked in a cross which saw Andy Thomson with a free header 6 yards out unfortunately straight at Roy. Dundee's game had fallen apart but they did show up again just before the break when Swankie hit a shot from Griffin's cross narrowly wide of target and then Griffin hit a long range effort narrowly over the top from all of thirty yards.

Queens break down the left
The second half was only two minutes old when the penalty count was levelled. Gavin Swankie swept down the left side and burned Jim Thomson for pace. He swept into the box and was tripped by Jim Thomson who received a yellow card for his indiscretion. There was some delay but Derek Lyle was the man who eventually hammered the ball into the right side of the net. A few minutes later Andy McLaren appeared to have headed a Rae cross beyond Corr but somehow the keeper clawed the ball away from his line.

Ten minutes in Andy Thomson made a fine run behind the defence and beat Roy to the ball but, forced wide, he was unable to find a man in the middle until Burns appeared at the back post with a weak header. John Henry then came on for Neil Scally in the 56th minute. Almost straight away after a free kick into the box was half cleared McCaffrey hammered it back just over the bar from 30 yards out.

Derek Lyle joined the names in the book after 62 minutes for dissenting the award of a goal kick and McCall took the chance to give Sean O'Connor his return to action in relief of Andy Thomson. On 69 minutes Swankie struck another free kick narrowly wide of goal and McCall made his final change, bringing on Callaghan for Robertson and moving O'Neill back into the middle of midfield. Danny Griffin was next in the book on 79 minutes for preventing the taking of a free kick and Dundee replaced Andy McLaren with Scott Gates.

A heavy challenge
In 83 minutes Callaghan's through ball had O'Neill running in on goal but he couldn't quite reach the ball and went down under pressure from Mann. It would have been a soft free kick though and Mr Boyle waved his appeals away. Two minutes later Sean O'Connor swung a leg at a McCaffrey ball into the box but knocked it well over the bar. Dundee immediately replaced Derek Lyle with Robert Campbell and in the final minute Ross Harris replaced Gavin Swankie.

When the fixture list came out the opening six games always looked a nightmare. We're through those now, points have to start being picked up, starting next week at home to Clyde.

Ewan Lithgow
Photographs - David Gow
Video footage - Rob Campbell


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