14/05/00 Dundee 1 Hibs 0
By Dundeefc.net
April 24 2002
SUN 14TH MAY
DUNDEE 1 (Rae 54)
Hibernian 0
Attendance: 5,081
Subs: Luna (for Grady), Robertson (for Boyack), Miller, Bayne, Langfield
Dundee gave departing manager Jocky Scott the perfect response after an eventful week with an easy 1-0 victory at Dens Park.
Dundee showed the new management team and Jocky himself that they were loyal and committed. Jocky was looking to end the season on a high and Gavin Rae produced a second-half goal to put them above rivals United in joint 6th place with one game remaining which would make the blue half of the city delighted and on top for the 2nd year in a row.
Ivano Bonetti's first task since being appointment has been to painstakingly trawl through the Dundee video archives of this season but the first 10 minutes to this game would not have given him too much encouragement. However, the final 80 will have him relishing the start to the season. After the early exchanges Hibernian were outclassed and were lucky to escape with just a 1-0 defeat.
It took 14 minutes for Dundee to produce the first chance of the match when Patrizio Billio played a cross-field pass to Steven Boyack and his cross was headed wide by striker James Grady.
But that woke Hibernian from their Sunday afternoon stroll and Robert Douglas prevented the visitors from taking the lead when Pat McGinlay cut the ball back to Paul Hartley, whose effort from 12 yards was well saved and gathered at the second attempt.
Dundee then put together another good passing move in the 23rd minute with Javier Artero picking out Gavin Rae in the centre but Shaun Dennis blocked his goal-bound effort and the follow-up from Grady.
But Dundee were applying some pressure and it almost paid off in the 26th minute but Hibernian goalkeeper Nick Colgan came out to cut out Grady's cross with James Grady and Willie Falconer both lining up to score.
Moments later and Falconer should have broken the deadlock when Grady played him through to beat the offside trap but he fired into the side netting with just Colgan to beat, much to the displeasure of Grady and Boyack who were both clear in the middle of the box.
In the 28th minute Steven Boyack was the guilty party on this occasion as he too beat the offside trap but he shot too near Colgan, who made a terrific save.
On the half-hour the home side had penalty claims turned when Grady got to Falconer's pass in the area and nipped the ball just past Shaun Dennis and went to ground, but the referee waved away the protests.
Grady produced a dangerous run in the 30th minute after a mistake from Brebner as he twisted and turned past McIntosh but the Hibernian defender made up the ground to make a blocking challenge to deny him.
In the last minute of the half Hibernian produced their best chance when Stuart Lovell played Kenny Miller through but his tame shot was comfortably saved by Douglas.
Dundee started the second period like they finished the first and in the 48th minute Artero beat two players with a determined run into the box but McIntosh stood up to him and blocked his effort.
But the Dees did take a deserved lead in the 55th minute when the Hibernian defence failed to clear the danger and Boyack crossed for Rae to score past Colgan.
Dundee should have killed the game off a minute later when with three against two in the home side's favour Billio dwelled too much on the ball before passing to Grady, whose effort was blocked.
Grady then fired just over from the edge of the box in the 61st minute and then four minutes later Steven Tweed blazed into the side netting from Rae's cross. A desperate saving tackle from Tom Smith denied Grady a certain goal after Boyack had cut the ball back from the byline.
But Hibernian battled back and in the 75th minute Douglas pushed McGinlay's lob onto the bar as the home side breathed a sigh of relief.
Walking away from the ground at full time the Dundee support were left to wonder just how the side did not manage to score at least half a dozen.
However, Dundee secured the points and will look to doing the same against Aberdeen at Dens Park next week to give Jocky something to be proud of, as once again we manage to finish above the Arabs.