By Dundeefc.net
April 24 2002

SUN 12TH DECEMBER

Dundee United 1 (Quim 88) DUNDEE 0

Attendance: 9185

Douglas van Eijs, Tweed, Wilkie, Smith, McSkimming Rae, Billio, Boyack Falconer, Annand

Subs: Banger (for Wilkie 14), Robertson (for McSkimming 72), Grady (for van Eijs 90), Langfield,

A goal from Ferrez with a minute of normal time remaining beat Dundee at Tannadice, the Portuguese striker robbing Steve Tweed on the edge of the Dundee box and charging through to fire home. No matter that up to this point Tweed had been immaculate and that the scorer had been inept, this is the moment that the last derby of the century will be remembered for.

Not that there was much else for the neutral to remember but Dundee could at least have claimed a moral victory until that late winner. Substitute Nicky Banger was by far the most creative player on the field and regularly got past United's full backs, the final ball from the whole Dundee team wasn't good enough however and apart from a Falconer drive which crashed off the crossbar in 67 minutes there were few occasions when either keeper looked like being beaten.

The first half was reasonably even with a Falconer drive from 25 yards (well held by Combe) and a Telesnikov free kick which dipped just over being the only near things. Dundee lost Lee Wilkie to a head knock after 14 minutes and the three man central defence was sacrificed as Nicky Banger came on the give the Dees a 4-3-3 shape.

Dundee came out for the second period in the mood to get at United and for half an hour had the home side pretty well camped in their own half. Banger made the intentions clear after 48 minutes when he picked up a Douglas clearance and lashed a vicious swerving shot towards goal, Combe was at full stretch as he tipped it round the post.

For all Dundee's neat and tidy play at this point there wasn't an end result as crosses from both sides of the park whistled across United area with no takers amongst the Dark Blue forwards.

As the game entered the final quarter both sides began to get sloppy in their passing with more balls finding the opposition than a team mate, by this stage the game had goal less draw written all over it but one mistake was to prove costly.

The three minutes injury time after the goal saw Dundee again camped around United's box and Combe tipped a Falconer drive from the edge of the box over. Big Rab' Douglas raced forward to win a header from the corner but Falconer was again denied as Combe flapped his effort away to give his team a win they in no way deserved.