Dundee Football Club Season 1961-1962
Championship season
Game Thirteen.
Saturday 25th November 1961
URE HOLDS FORT FOR DUNDEE
Hibernian 1, Dundee 3.
Dundee go to Easter Road looking for their tenth league win in a row. But Hibs, led by live-wire Gerry Baker – making his home debut – undoubtedly have other ideas after last week’s victory at Perth. Both sides line-up as expected. Despite snowstorms across the Forth in Perth & Kinross, it’s bright and sunny for the kick off.
Hibernian --- Simpson, Grant, McLelland, Preston, Easton, Baxter, Fraser,
Stevenson, Baker, Kinloch, McLeod.
Dundee --- Liney, Hamilton, Cox, Seith, Ure, Wishart, Smith, Penman, Cousin,
Gilzean, Robertson.
Referee --- Mr. W.M.M. Syme, Glasgow.
Before the game, an announcement warns that any boys jumping over the retaining wall and running onto the pitch will be removed by the police for the rest of the game. It is greeted by loud booing from a group of Dark Blue and White banner waving youngsters behind the Hawkhill goal.
Dundee get a big hand when they trot out three minutes late. Baker gets a leg knock in his first brush with Seith and appears to be crippling.
Just too high.
The Dark Blues mount their first dangerous raid in 1 ½ minutes. A Cousin cross from the right is barely a couple of inches too high for Gilzean’s head and Grant is happy to concede a safety corner.
Baxter is given an opening when Fraser nods a "free" in front of him. His 20-yarder is miles high. Baxter shows a menace on the five minute mark. Accelerating on to a through pass in the box, he flashes in an angled grounder. It just touches Liney and grazes the outside of the post for a corner.
Cousin is curling over some inviting crosses, but there are no takers so far. Baxter is obviously going to be one of Hibs’ big guns. He tests Liney with two long range screamers. Dundee are very shaky at the moment. At times there is signs of panic in defence. The elusive Baker is proving a hot handful to Ure and the home forwards’ switching is baffling to Cox and Co.
A Fright.
Simpson is given a fright when Penman slings over a beauty. The ball drops in front of Gilzean a couple of yards out, but the keeper is right on him to smother it.
Smith is given a gilt-edged opportunity from a move initiated by himself with an overhead kick.
Cousin picks up the ball, trucks McLelland and centres. A defender nods it straight to the on-rushing winger. Gordon’s first-timer is wide. A great McLeod-Baker move slice open the Dundee rearguard. Ally’s parting effort is only past by a coat of the whitewash. Next minute Simpson saves acrobatically from Penman when Andy seems certain to score. Wishart almost catches Simpson on the hop with a snap 33-yarder. The ball beats Ronnie and snorts by the post.
On The Whistle.
The lights come on just after the 30 minute mark. A light drizzle is making the wet looking pitch slippier than ever. Ure "gets his character" for a foul on Baker. Gerry is not slow to show his disapproval of Ian’s robust tackling.
Right on half-time Cousin is fouled on the right-hand edge of the area by Easton. Smith drops the "free" right onto GILZEAN’S napper and Alan leaves Simpson helpless with a brilliant header to the far corner.
Half time --- Hibs 0, Dundee 1.
Reflections --- Dundee were lucky to weather Hibs’ opening blitz. They regained some of their composure towards the interval and showed flashes of the brilliant football that can play. That body blow by Gilzean must have Hibs’ players shaking their heads. Alan Cousin has been in brilliant form.
Second Half.
It promises to be an interesting second session as the green and whites kick off. They are attacking down their favourite slope. On the other hand Dundee have scored five times during the second half in each of their last three games.
Within four minutes Dundee are two up, PENMAN is the scorer. The danger begins when Gilzean is intercepted by Grant as he is lining up for a shot. The ball breaks for a corner. Smith drops a "topper" at the far post. Robertson gathers, survives an appeal for hands, and cuts back to Penman, who controls the ball slickly before beating Simpson from 12 yards.
A minute later to a great roar from the home crowd STEVENSON pulls one back for Hibs. Ure blocks a Baxter shot. It rebounds to Stevenson. He waltzes past the centre half to smash home from close range.
Ure the cool head
Hibs pin Dundee back by their ears as they go all out for the equiliser. Ure is the only cool head in the visiting defence as Hibs pile on the pressure. He constantly directs operations in tight corners and refuses to be flurried by repeated raids.
Tempers get a little frayed. Cox is given a talking to for a foul on McLeod and Mr. Syme has a few words with McLelland after Cousin is grassed. Ure and Liney are keeping the eager Hibs pack at bay. Twice Ian gets in the way of scoring shots. Pat is double fisting the ball away one minute and nose diving through the mud to save the next. Dundee come back briefly, Simpson only just beats Gilzean to a Smith flick.
Smith’s goal
But goal number 3 is delayed for only a minute. Penman finds Robertson with a probing pass. The pint-sized wing man bores in as Simpson narrows the angle, lets go a hot one. Ronnie beats down the ball, and in strolls Gordon SMITH to tap it home.
This goal against the team with which he earned so much glory in his heyday must give Gordon a lot of pleasure. It could not have come at a more opportune moment for struggling Dundee.
That blonde dynamo Ian Ure has been really immense this half.
Final --- Hibs 1, Dundee 3.
Summing up --- Dundee will rarely play so badly and take both points. Only Ure, Liney, Cousin, and to a certain extent Penman, can take credit from this victory.
Hamilton had a nightmarish afternoon against the lanky McLeod, and Robertson was mediocre. Hibs didn’t get the breaks. They deserved a point at least. However, it takes a really great side to win on an off day