By Dundeefc.net
April 24 2002

SAT 23RD OCTOBER

Hibs 5 (Miller 30, Latapy 40, 77 Sauzee 62 Lehmann 90)
DUNDEE 2 (Matute 5,Falconer 73)

Attendance 10160

Douglas Miller, Tweed, Wilkie, Sharp Robertson, Boyack, Rae, Van Eijs Matute, Falconer

Subs: Slater (for Miller 32), Annand (for Matute 45), Elliot (for van Eijs 70), McSkimming, Langfield

Jocky Scott made changes, some forced and others tactical for the visit to Easter Road with Roberto Matute making his first start and Hugh Robertson and Frank van Eijs added to the midfield. The changes made little difference to the level of performance, however, with Dundee under the cosh from the first whistle. It took five minutes before a Dundee player had the ball under control in the Hibs half by which time the home side had missed three clear cut chances. But that first forray upfield had a more productive result for Dundee, when Falconer took advantage of a slip from Dempsie to get on the end of Sharp's punted free kick. The ball fell to Willie's right foot and he poked it past the keeper where Matute made sure it went into the back of the net.

Straight away Hibs layed siege to the Dundee goal and it was some surprise that it took the home team until the last half hour to equalise Kenny Miller playing a 1-2 with McGinlay and shooting low past Douglas. The loss of Willie Miller came as a blow two minutes after the Hibs goal when he pulled up with a recurrence of his muscle injury. Lee Wilkie was booked soon afterwards for a tackle on the goal scorer and Lee Sharp followed him into the book for an over enthusiastic challenge in 41 minutes. By then Dundee were behind with Latapy firing home after Jack had picked him out.

Hibs had totally dominated the first half and Dundee resumed with Annand on for Matute, who'd picked up a knock when colliding with the Hibs keeper. Dundee had rather more of the game after the interval but it was the home side who extended their lead after Wilkie had been penalised for climbing just outside the box, Sauzee firing the free kick low into the corner. John Elliot got a first outing of the season when he replaced van Eijs with 20 minutes left and Dundee got back into the game three minutes later, Rae did well to rob Latapy and charged forward to release Falconer who fired a low shot into the near corner.

For a brief period Dundee pressed but Latapy made up for his involvement in the Dark Blues' second when he jinked along the edge of the Dundee box in 77 minutes before firing a fine left foot shot home to send a large section of the visiting support heading towards the exits. Eddie Annand became the third Dee booked with eleven minutes to go for mouthing off to the linesman but worse was to come as with the game in injury time Wilkie mistimed a tackle on McGinlay and received a second yellow (and subsequent red) card. The final blow came when from the subsequent free kick Lehmann poked the ball home from close range to give Hibs a nap hand.