Dundee Utd 6
Morton 0
League (Premier Division)
Dundee UtdDundee Utd |
6 - 06 - 0 |
MortonMorton |
 |
League (Premier Division) |
 |
| Goalscorers | |
|
Dave Narey (15) Davie Dodds (17) Dave Narey (19) Billy Kirkwood (21) Davie Dodds (42) Davie Dodds (86) |
None. |
| Team Managers | |
|
Jim McLean |
Benny Rooney |
| Starting Eleven | |
|
1. Hamish McAlpine 2. John Holt 3. Derek Stark 4. Richard Gough 5. Paul Hegarty 6. Dave Narey 7. Eamonn Bannon 8. Ralph Milne 9. Billy Kirkwood 10. Paul Sturrock 11. Davie Dodds |
Roy Baines .1 Bobby Houston .2 Jim Holmes .3 Jim Duffy .4 Joe McLaughlin .5 Colin Jackson .6 Eddie McNab .7 Danny Docherty .8 Roddy Hutchison .9 Jim Rooney .10 Andy Ritchie .11 |
| Bench | |
|
12. Graeme Payne 14. Maurice Malpas |
Ian Cochrane .12 John McNeil .14 |
| Substitutions | |
|
Maurice Malpas for Eamonn Bannon (45) Graeme Payne for Billy Kirkwood (80) |
Ian Cochrane for Danny Docherty (45) |
| Cautions | |
| None. | None. |
| Red Cards | |
| None. | None. |
| Match Officials | |
|
Louis Thow (Ayr) (Referee) |
Match Report
United, aiming for their 17th game without defeat, brought back Eamonn Bannon after he had missed the last two matches with a leg strain. He replaced Ian Britton who was out with a calf injury. John Holt also came in for Maurice Malpas.
Morton, who had picked up five points from their last three games - including a draw with Rangers the week before, showed a lot of enterprise in the opening stages at a rain and windswept Tannadice. Roddy Hutchison had a shot from just inside the box after good build up play, but his effort lacked power. Hamish McAlpine earned a big cheer when he came out of his box to send a perfect 30 yard pass to Bannon, who's cross was sent just past by a Dodds header. In the 15th minute United took the lead when Richard Gough sent over a perfect cross and Dave Narey out-jumped everyone to head the ball home. Two minutes later Davie Dodds scored an equally brilliant goal when he headed through another inch perfect cross, this time by Milne. In the 19th minute Bannon and Sturrock combined to lay on a chance for Dave Narey who hit a powerful shot low in to the corner. The incredible run of goals continued, when two minutes later, Billy Kirkwood's shot from 18 yards span out of the hands of Baines and over the line. With three minutes of the first half left, Davie Dodds finished off after a Milne cross had been headed on by Holt.
After such a whirlwind first half performance from United, the second half was a much calmer affair, with Davie Dodds completing his hat-trick with four minutes left to play - the fifth of his professional career. This was United's highest League victory since the 7-0 defeat of Kilmarnock in January 1981, and kept them within a point of leaders Celtic.
Squad Statistics (as at October 16th, 1982)
| 1982-83 | All Time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Nat |  |
 |
|
|
|
| Hamish McAlpine (GK) | 34 |
|
16 | - | 541 | 3 |
| John Holt | 25 |
|
6 | - | 203 | 16 |
| Derek Stark | 23 |
|
16 | - | 171 | 3 |
| Richard Gough | 20 |
|
16 | 1 | 65 | 3 |
| Paul Hegarty | 28 |
|
17 | 1 | 366 | 54 |
| Dave Narey | 26 |
|
17 | 5 | 413 | 30 |
| Ralph Milne | 21 |
|
13 | 5 | 122 | 32 |
| Billy Kirkwood | 24 |
|
16 | 5 | 237 | 52 |
| Eamonn Bannon | 24 |
|
12 | 3 | 158 | 42 |
| Davie Dodds | 24 |
|
17 | 11 | 192 | 78 |
| Paul Sturrock | 26 |
|
17 | 7 | 346 | 109 |
| Maurice Malpas (sub) | 20 |
|
16 | 2 | 41 | 2 |
| Graeme Payne (sub) | 26 |
|
8 | 2 | 289 | 21 |
League Table (as at October 16th, 1982)
| Pld | W | D | L | +/- | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Celtic | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | +11 | 11 |
| 2. | DUNDEE UTD | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | +11 | 10 |
| 3. | Rangers | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | +6 | 9 |
| 4. | Aberdeen | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | +4 | 9 |
| 5. | Dundee | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 8 |
| 6. | Morton | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -8 | 6 |
| 7. | Hibernian | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | -3 | 5 |
| 8. | St Mirren | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | -5 | 5 |
| 9. | Kilmarnock | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | -7 | 4 |
| 10. | Motherwell | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -11 | 3 |
| League results since United's last match |
|---|
| 16th October 1982 |
|---|
| Aberdeen | 1-0 | Dundee |
| Celtic | 2-1 | Kilmarnock |
| Dundee Utd | 6-0 | Morton |
| Hibernian | 1-0 | Motherwell |
| St Mirren | 2-2 | Rangers |
Manager's Programme Notes
It goes without saying that I am delighted at our opening to the season. In any context a run of 16 games without defeat is highly satisfactory. There have, however, been some results which have not pleased me. The draws at Easter Road a month ago, and at Rugby Park last week, were no more than our performances deserved. These kind of results are prejudicial to our League aspirations. Over the past six seasons we have finished in either third or fourth spot, with only 80-81 being an exception, but our sights nowadays are set higher than that. Without doubt our front players must shoulder the blame when results haven't been what we would have hoped. Davie Dodds started the season well, Paul Sturrock has played in fits and starts whilst Ralph Milne's form of late has been pleasing. I know I am hard to please but at no time have we had more than one of our strike force playing to his full potential in any match. It is, therefore, high time that we had all three front runners firing on ail cylinders at the same time.
In contrast to my moaning I must commend the superb form shown by the back four, that includes Maurice Malpas who has also performed adequately when asked to play in midfield. Therein lies another problem. Do I utilise Dave Narey in midfield this afternoon? Complicating the issue is the forthcoming UEFA tie in Norway when I must almost certainly field Dave in his normal defensive role combined with the fact that Maurice Malpas is a better back four player. It is vitally important for us to win against Morton especially after that below par performance against Kilmarnock. Hopefully Eamonn Bannon will again be fit as we require him to give us the necessary width which we have lacked during his enforced absence. Good managers are normally gauged by the number of trophies they win, but Benny Rooney, whom I admire greatly, qualifies as one of the top managers in view of his achievements with Morton, where economics have forced him to part with his best players, whilst still retaining their premier placing.