Second half
The fog starts to return with gathering darkness. Within three minutes the Dark Blues fans are in ecstasies, Dundee are two goals up. Repeat for doubting Thomases --- two goals up.
Both come through identical build up moves and both are scored by Gilzean. The sensational spell is sparked off by a Caldow stumble. Picking up the ball, Smith pokes it through to Cousin. Alan travels 20 yards before gliding a perfect pass to Penman on the right hand edge of the area.
Andy slings over a beauty and there’s GILZEAN coming in on full tilt to glance the ball past the advancing Ritchie into the far corner of the net. Ranger’s dismay is two fold a minute later. This time it’s a breakaway. From a Rangers corner the ball is cleared to Cousin. Alan lopes up the middle, taps a through ball to Penman and Andy carves open the home rearguard with a precise slip through the centre. GILZEAN races in, beats Ritchie fractionally and taps the ball home. What a turn up!
‘Gers fight back
The similarity between the moves ponders the question ---- did the shrewd Mr Shankly have some instruction to pass on during the interval. Rangers shake off their shock and fight back fiercely. Christie heads just wide from a hanging Scott cross. Ure is just in time to dispossess crackshot Brand in the act of having a go. The "follow follow" boys strike up as the fog comes down. Perhaps the thought of a cancellation are entering their heads. However, the weather doesn’t look that bad.
Caldow worried
Gordon Smith is becoming a nightmare to Caldow. Scotland’s captain can’t get to grips with the veteran at all. Time and again Gordon leaves the back standing after evading a tackle. Rangers in their anxiety are putting too much work on the ball. This is spoiling several promising attacks.
The first sign of needle creeps in after 70 minutes. Liney gets up crippling from a tangle from the bulldozing Christie. As he hirples towards the edge of the box Christie gets in again to "rumble up" the keeper. Gilzean pounds in to have a word with Christie. Baxter comes in to have a word with Gilzean. Then Mr. Rodger comes in and has a word with them both and the trouble is smoothed over.
Hat-Trick
A flash of Gilzean in the 74th minute gives Dundee a three goal lead and the big fella his hat trick.
It comes from a typical Smith corner low to the near post. GILZEAN leaves the home defence standing as he sprints to meet it and flick past a wall of astonished defenders into the net. No wonder Alan races on, leaping in the air and waving both arms over his head to embrace Smith. He is having a devastating second half.
Like true Champions
On reflection it takes some believing, Dundee three goals up on the mighty ‘Gers before their own fanatical crowd at Ibrox. The Dark Blues are playing like true champions with skill, guts and punch. Rangers have been completely faded by the transformation of Gilzean and Penman. Out of touch in the first half, both have seemed like different players.
Soft Goal
In the 84th minute, Dundee lose a soft goal to Brand. It begins with an indirect free kick inside the box, awarded when McMillan is sandwiched. The ball is crossed by Scott, goes out to Smith, who seems reluctant to concede a safety corner and eventually pushes back to Wishart. Christie intercepts chips across the face of the goal and BRAND leaps to head home.
No.4
Dundee slam downfield for goal number 4. This time Smith, wandering on the right at his brilliant best, taunts several Rangers defenders with his cantrips before pushing inside to Seith. Rab nudges the ball to Penman, who slips it to GILZEAN. Alan kids Shearer into believing he is going to square back, wheels round the outside and gives Ritchie no chance with a blazing 15-yarded. Time –87 minutes.
Penman
completes the Gers’ day of agony a minute later when he is lying handy to pick up a short Baxter pass back. Poor Ritchie is nowhere as Andy glides home a side footer.
Final – Rangers 1, Dundee 5.
Summing up --- Dundee have never played so well. In the second half they gave Rangers a complete lesson in the art of football. The light blues chief torturers were Gordon Smith, Gilzean and Penman. There was no answer to their combined movements. But don’t forget the visiting defenders. When Dundee were going through a shaky spell in the first half they remained as solid as a rock.
Today’s result could be the one to decide the fate of the League Championship flag.