With Lee Wilkie in magnificent form, not losing a single ball in the air tonight, he aside it would be difficult to single out anyone as everyone played so well. Novo, Nemsadze, Caballero, Rae, Smith, Hernandez, Mackay and Hutchinson, all well above average in what turned out to be a much needed victory with other teams around us winning as well.
Before the game Lee Wilkie was presented with the Player of the Month award by the Dundee Supporters Association, well deserved, and it certainly inspired the big man to go on to give an absolute masterful performance in front of the home crowd. Both on the ground and in the air he was amazing.
Lee showed the mood he was in early on, robbing a Livvy player in the box and showing amazing footwork and a cool head in bringing the ball clear and finding a man with his pass.
Dundee’s first threat came when a Livvy defender, trying desperately to clear the ball from Hutchinson almost scores an own goal, the ball coming off the crossbar and back into play and cleared at the second attempt.
A loud appeal for a penalty goes up from the Livingstone fans, what little there were, but from where I sit in the Bobby Cox I couldn’t see what the fuss was all about.
The early stages of the game are pretty dull with neither team really gaining the upper hand but when Mackay finds Caballero on the edge of the box his glorious drive is well saved by Broto in Goal.
Giorgi Nemsadze, just back from international duty with Georgia goes on a mazy and when he arrives at the edge of the box he is cruelly scythed down and from the resultant free kick Jonay Hernandez curls the ball just wide of the target.
Not long after another free kick from a similar position is wasted by Dundee and from the resultant break out of defence Livvy take the lead against the run of play. A long punt up the park sees Wilkie and Dadi challenging. Lee just gets a touch to knock the ball out of the danger area. Dadi gets to the ball first and sends it over and in a cluster of players from both sides the ball strikes Giorgi Nemsadze and rolls cruelly into the corner of the net. 1-0 Livvy.
For a spell Livvy are on fire and look like they could add to their lead, though they fail to really test Speroni with any created opportunities in the box. Getting there was one thing, getting past Wilkie was another.
Caballero sees a truly magnificent strike from a very tight angle which looked impossible to score from, saved brilliantly by Broto. To Fabian’s disgust the ball then strikes the crossbar and goes over for a corner.
A 25 yard run by Lee Wilkie late in the first half sees him show some amazing skills for a defender, getting past 3 or 4 opponents with ease. His final ball into the box finds Lovell off balance and his first time snap shot goes well past. Before the half time whistle blows Caballero and Rae come close, missing the target with two decent shots, both created by the Georgian maestro, Nemsadze.
How Dundee trailed at the break is a mystery to anyone at the game. The Nemsadze own goal was one of only two shots on target that Julian Speroni had to save. Dundee hit woodwork twice and 2 out of this world saves by Broto had ensured Livvy held their slender lead at the break.
In the second half some of Dundee’s football and build up play was top drawer stuff. Chasing a game sometimes leads to frustration and players hurrying the ball along. To their credit Dundee continued to build up fast, exciting moves. They looked solid at the back with Mackay, Hutchinson, Wilkie and Hernandez playing well as a unit. In midfield Giorgi and Gavin were making some great driving runs at the heart of the Livvy defence ably supported by Barry Smith, once again playing a holding role in central midfield, out in front of the defence, and he played it very well. Up front Lovell, Caballero and Novo were always looking dangerous.
Steve Lovell fired high over the bar after some amazing footwork and ball control contrived to give him the ball in a good position.
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A goal just had to come and when it did it was perfectly built up and executed by a new hero in Dark Blue. Giorgi Nemsadze showed what a quality player he is by carrying the ball towards the Livvy rearguard before delivering the perfect pass for NACHO NOVO inside the box. The enigmatic Spaniard struck the ball with the outside of his right foot and Broto is beaten. 1-1.
Stevie Lovell is next to come close, beating his man in the box neatly and hammering a great shot goalwards, Broto once again making a great save to keep his side in the game. Shortly afterwards Steve Lovell is replaced by Juan Sara and one could see the panic in the eyes of the Livvy defence at such a sub arriving late in the game.
But the constant pressure just had to tell and when it did Dundee produced a great goal to win the match. Once again Giorgi Nemsadze, showing little signs of tiredness after playing a full international match last Saturday is the genius behind the move. When Lee Wilkie gives him possession outside the Livvy box The Dancing Georgian drifts past several players before laying the
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Dundee continued to attack and Caballero almost gets on the end of another Novo cross but mishits and the ball trundles past.
The dying 5 minutes saw Dundee at times defending too deeply and providing the fans with some nail biting moments. Several shots come close. But the new fighting spirit in this Duffy inspired team was seen in all its glory with Novo several times working back to make some excellent tackles when danger threatened. Near the end a brilliant piece of interplay between Sara and Caballero almost gives the Dees a 3rd. The game is played out with Livvy trying desperately to get a goal but they found every Dundee player battling as if his life was at stake and ensuring a very healthy 3 points that puts Dundee into joint 6th place with Motherwell.
Near the end some of the floodlights went out and though the fans were unaware of the drama unfolding outside, it seems there had been some sort of electrical problem that could so easily have led to the game being abandoned. The Fire Brigade were on stand by outside the stadium but the game finished, thankfully.
FORM RATING: JULIAN SPERONI – Really only had two real efforts to save, one that he seemed to have covered befort it came off Giorgi for an own goal and one shortly after that he dealt with comfortably. BACK FOUR: DAVE MACKAY – There’s nothing flashy or silky about Dave, he’s an old fashioned Scottish type player, but he had a fine game and was always in control of his opponent, making some good tackles and strong overlapping runs down the wing.
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OK, maybe not the most impartial report you’ll ever read, but as a Dee reporting on my team tonight, Duffy is taking this team down the right path. The skill and flair was still there, no one can deny that. But added to that factor was a healthy regard for hard work and players battled for themselves, their team and each other. And big Lee Wilkie, simply amazing, a must for the Scottish team against Finland.