Dundee Football Club Season 1961-1962
Championship season
Game Twelve.
Saturday 18th November 1961
CRAZY SCORING AT DENS
Raith get three in five minutes
Dundee 5, Raith Rovers 4.
Manager Bob Shankly fields his Ibrox "invincibles" against lowly Raith Rovers. Raith are also unchanged. Dundee remember that they took four points from the Dark Blues last season and shocked Killie last Saturday. A wintry haze cloaks Dens Park.
Dundee --- Liney, Hamilton, Cox, Seith, Ure, Wishart, Smith, Penman, Cousin,
Gilzean, Robertson.
Raith Rovers --- Cunningham, Wilson, Mochan, Stein, Forsyth, Leigh, Lourie, White,
Adamson, Clinton, Watson.
Referee --- Mr. E.F. Cowan, Glasgow.
The attendance barely seems 10,000 as the Fifers, with ex- Dens Parkers Cunningham and Bobby Adamson in their line-up, trot out wearing Dark Blue jerseys with numbers in Red.
Dundee in all white strips, get a big hand when they follow. The homesters start off playing the brand of silky soccer now expected of them. But Raith refuse to become flustered. In fact, Liney is the busier keeper in the opening five minutes.
Fright for Dundee
Ure give Pat a nasty fright when, in attempting a pass back header, he leaves the over the bar as well. A minute later, Liney is on the spot to clutch an angular Watson drive.
Dundee, attacking the Provost Road goal, mount their first real offensive. Two quick corners are forced on the right. From the second, Gilzean grazes the top of the bar with a flying header. Penman, put right through, misses a great chance by bulging the side netting.
Ure gets a great cheer as he bursts through a ruck of players to pound down the left wing. He slips a neat pass on to Gilzean, who is dispossessed. There’s another let-off for Dundee in the 12th minute. White, standing in a suspiciously offside position, has only Liney to beat when the ball reaches him. Pat can only parry his half hit shot and the ball is rolling home until "Hammy" streaks in to save the home bacon. He boots viciously clear first-time.
Too casual
Dundee’s defence is taken a long time to settle. Over elaboration, plus a too casual approach is getting them into trouble time and time again. But the Dark Blues switch defence into attack in the 17th minute --- and it almost brings a goal.
Liney slips a short kick to Hamilton on the edge of the area. The back slings a long one up to Gilzean on the centre line and a quick one-two with Robertson carves open Raith’s last line of defence. Hugh’s grounder whips across the open goal, just wide of the far post.
Cousin comes close twice. His header from a Smith free is inches off target, and Cunningham saves brilliantly from point-blank range after the "big fella" has wandered through on his own.
From 35 yards
Veteran Andy LEIGH has a shock in store for the league leaders. He picks up the ball in his own half and there seems little danger as the wing-half moves forward. From 35-yards out, Andy suddenly unleashes a raker. Liney is still on the way down as the ball rebounds onto the field from inside the stanchion.
Time –22 minutes.
Goal melee
Only a wonderful Cunningham save in 29 minutes keeps the homesters from equalising. Wishart’s 20-yard drive seems a "cert" until the keeper, with a cat-like spring, pushes the ball out at full stretch. This starts off an amazing goalmouth melee, with the whole Dundee front five looking for a chink in Raith’s defensive armour. However, the visiting iron curtain is solid.
Dundee continue to play football even in the tightest defensive corner. Their former colleague Billy Cunningham is starting to break the Dundee player’s hearts. After a Smith cross to the far post, Alan Cousin crashes in a lethal looking first timer, but the 6ft. 2in. keeper gets his massive frame behind the ball.
Up comes skipper Cox as the pressure is applied in earnest. A clever Smith-Robertson switch almost pays off. Gilzean’s header from Hugh’s centre slips just over.
Half time --- Dundee 0, Raith Rovers 1.
Reflections --- If Raith keep this up they will soon be given the "giant-killing" tag. Dundee have had enough chances to be on level terms at least, but a stuffy defence is making it difficult for them. One has the feeling that if one goal is forthcoming others will follow.
Second half
The lights are switched on before the second half starts. Excitement runs high as Dundee resume at lightning pace. Fighting for every ball, they storm down on Cunningham. Several nifty moves break down in the box largely because the tight packing Raith defence refuse to be stampeded into anything foolish.
In 50 minutes, a thunderous roar greets the overdue equaliser --- and it’s the softest of goals. GILZEAN is the marksman. In possession 25 yards out, Alan sees at a quick glance that everyone is covered. He tries a speculative grounder which the whole Raith defence leaves for Cunningham to gather. To their amazement --- and that of thousands of spectators --- the giant keeper apparently unsighted, is going the other way.
Too late, he sees his error, corkscrews frantically and throws himself at the ball. It eludes his grasping finger tips and trundles over the line. This is a sad enough blow for the Fifers. But when Cunningham "flogs" another to GILZEAN within two minutes, they are stunned. The keeper, bending to gather the inside-man’s shot, lets the ball slip through his legs.
Far from finished, Raith explode their bombshell. They show how they know as well by cracking in three goals in five minutes to restore their lead. CLINTON lashes home from close range in 58 minutes after Liney has completely misjudged a "free." Then LOURIE, out on his own, gathers a perfect through pass to leave Liney helpless with a raging shot.
ADAMSON
hammers home the lesson in 63 minutes when a Clinton lob finds him unmarked, Bobby’s header is well out of Liney’s reach.
Wishart scores
Two goals down, Dundee are really up against it. Raith’s scoring spree – three goals in five minutes --- has given them some indication of how the ‘Gers felt last week. It is practically goal a minute, never mind thrill a minute.
WISHART
blasts the game wide open with a flashing 25-yard drive in 69 minutes. Penman slips the ball to the left-half and Cunningham doesn’t see his rising shot.
Within the next minute Wilson twice clears off the line with his keeper beaten. Penman takes a Cousin flick forward to slide the ball past Cunningham. As the ball is crossing the line Wilson streaks across to belt clear. Then a rocket header from Gilzean looks net-bound until the same back heads out.
The sustained excitement proves too much for one spectator. He is carried out from the crowd by ambulance men.
Three minutes to go
Dens has seldom seen such a pulsating encounter. Penman blazes inches over from 12 yards and at the other end Liney just gets to a Wilson header. In a storming finale, the league leaders get two goals in two minutes to put them
5-4 up --- three minutes from time.
SEITH
blasts home the equaliser from 35 yards past the amazed Cunningham in 86 minutes. One minute later Alan Cousin runs through from the centre line and passes to Gilzean. There are shouts for a penalty as Alan is buffeted about. But he stays in control long enough to slip forward to the incoming SMITH. Gordon coolly shoots the ball into the corner of the net.
Several small boys invade the pitch to add to their congratulations to the many being showered on the Gay Gordon.
Then there is a full-scale invasion at the final whistle and both sides are given a standing ovation by the delighted and perspiring crowd. It lasts for several minutes and is well merited.
Final ---- Dundee 5, Raith Rovers 4.
Summing up --- What words can describe adequately such a breath-taken display. For the second successive week Dundee produced their thriller touch --- like true champions. Poor Raith must feel bewildered tonight --- and no wonder. They will never play so well and leave pointless. To pick out any single man for praise would be invidious. All 22 were heroes. If you have a weak heart, stay clear of Dundee matches. They’re dynamite!
Attendance --- 15,000