Dundee Football Club Season 1961-1962
Championship season
Game Four.
Saturday 23rd September 1961
G IS FOR GILZEAN ------ AND GOALS
Dundee and Hearts make one change each for the Dens Park game. Left – half Stuart, Dundee, fails a last minute fitness test and Wishart steps back in after two weeks absence. Bobby Ross is also injured and Wallace replaces him on the right wing.
Dundee ---- Liney; Hamilton; Cox; Seith; Ure; Wishart; Smith; Penman; Gilzean;
Cousin; Robertson.
Hearts --- Marshall; Kirk; Holt; Ferguson; Polland; Cumming; Wallace; Hamilton;
Paton; Higgins; Blackwood.
Referee ---- D R Minto, Hurlford.
When Dundee runs out in white strips Cousin is wearing the No. 9 jersey and Gilzean the No. 10. They set Hearts to attack the Provost Road goal. A Hearts left wing attack is the first promising move. It ends with Paton being penalised in the box.
Seith is giving good service to his forwards but Marshall isn’t troubled. Higgins gives the crowd a chance to shout with a snap grounder. It is scraping past but Liney helps it on its way at full stretch to make sure. Hamilton pumps another one over the bar. Dundee are finding each other well and some right- wing cantrips are threatening. Twice they force a corner. Gilzean is the first to aim a shot for goal, but it is a wishy - washy effort. As the business looking Hearts keep probing, Higgins heads over from a Wallace cross.
In the clear
Another Dundee corner, again on the left. Marshall punches the flag kick of Gilzean’s head. Best chance so far comes to Penman. He is in the clear just outside the box when Cousin slams over a lovely ball from the left. Penman seems taken by surprise --- or perhaps he expected an offside whistle. Anyway he misses the ball and the chance.
Both teams are putting a lot of polish on their play. By the sound of the crowd they would prefer more bite. Robertson has some good tussles with Kirk, but is not getting great support from Gilzean. It is not the inside – forwards day.
Cheer into roar
Seith earns the first home cheer with a good 20 – yard try which is just high. The cheer becomes a roar in 31 minutes when the Dark Blues at last punch a hole in the maroon wall. Penman comes wriggling in with the ball four yards from the left by – line. He beats Holt and squeezes the ball past Polland to GILZEAN, who is racing in on goal. Marshall dives out and misses and Gilzean’s job is an easy one from ten yards.
There should be a second goal a minute later. Robertson swings at a Cousin cross barely 15 yards from goal and skies it hopelessly over a worried – looking Marshall. Dundee have their sleeves up now. They buzz like bees around the Heart’s goal. Marshall’s a lucky man when he pulls down a Seith lob in the box and it breaks to Robertson. The wee winger shoots high past the gaping net.
When Hearts throw off the pressure for a moment Cumming flashes in a 25 – yarder which squirms out of Liney’s grasp. Luckily there’s not a Heart at hand.
Half time --- Dundee 1, Hearts 0
Half time reflections --- It took Gilzean’s goal to waken the game up. From pretty poor fare it developed into a lively game with Dundee well on top. They could easily have turned round with a bigger lead had they taken their chances.
Second half
Marshall and Liney are quickly visited, though there’s nothing to worry them. Cousin is ready to pounce on a Gilzean through pass, but Polland intercepts. Up the right wing comes Kirk. His pass to Wallace looks dangerous. Liney has to look sharp to smother the ball at the winger’s feet.
Gilzean hammers one at Marshall. It takes a good save to stop it. There’s a cheer for Ure when he outpaces Paton for a long Hearts clearance and whips the ball to safety with Liney rushing out at the ready. Ure to the rescue again. He nips the ball from the centre’s toe as Paton draws back to slam a Hamilton flick goalwards.
Dundee scorn a great chance in the 60th minute. Robertson fastens on to a crossfield drive by Seith, beats two men and flashes the ball across goal to Cousin.
Alan gets his leg to it instead of his boot and hangs his head as it soars harmlessly in the air.
Hearts launch a determined effort for the equaliser Hamilton looks disgusted with himself when he shoots wide twice in quick succession. Liney has to drop smartly on a Ure pass – back with Wallace closing in. Dundee’s reply is a Gilzean 25 – yarder which Marshall is happy to hold on the line.
Cox comes near
Bobby Cox almost gets his name on the scoreboard. He is downfield for a corner. Robertson cut it short to Seith. Cox runs on to the half back’s pass and his shot screams through a welter of players and scrapes the far post.
Dundee really go to town for a few glorious minutes. There’s a great Smith try which Marshall manages to get a hand to. The shot bulges the side net. Several more are scrambled away.
Then Robertson bores in from the left past three men. GILZEAN is waiting for the pass and makes no mistake this time. Time --- 71 minutes.
Hearts are reeling now. Marshall punches out from Cousin and thankfully watches a header from Alan sail past his upright. The Hearts attack is only seen in flashes now – and they are not very brilliant. The Dark Blues are playing with bags of confidence and are giving the defence a roasting. Smith keen to get a goal against his old club, is bobbing up all over the place.
Liney has one unhappy moment when a Wallace effort from the corner of his box hits an upright.
Full time --- Dundee 2, Hearts 0.
Summing up --- A Dundee performance to keep the fans happy. It was worth a lot more in goals – blame Marshall and the old scoring weakness. Hearts never got going and only once or twice did they look as if they could. Ure was back on top form and had a sound backing from his whole defence.
Attendance, 12,000