Jordan McGhee celebrates scoring Dundee's second
Dundee’s impressive start to the season continued as they booked their place in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals with a demolition of 10-man Airdrieonians.
First-half goals from new English striker Seb Palmer-Houlden and defender Jordan McGhee gave the Dens Park side one foot in the next round, before Scott Tiffoney, Antonio Portales, Curtis Main and Lyall Cameron added extra gloss to the scoreline.
Airdrie’s consolation came from Adam Frizzell, whose fine finish came after defender Dylan MacDonald was sent off.
While Dundee are well worth their place in the last eight, much of Airdrie’s frustration will come from the fact three of the goals came from corners.
Palmer-Houlden scrambled in when the Diamonds couldn’t clear while McGhee’s fine header was simply too strong for Keiran Wright in goal. Portales was also in too much space when his headed effort arced its way into the top corner.
Prior to that, a wonderful through ball from Luke McCowan was perfect for Tiffoney to run on to and smash home to effectively end Airdrie’s resistance at 3-0.
Their exit was all but confirmed when MacDonald was then sent off with just over 25 minutes to go for hauling down Simon Murray. McCowan smacked the resultant free-kick off a post.
After the fourth from Portales, Airdrie got the consolation goal their overall play deserved when Frizzell applied the perfect curling finish to a nice break.
Dundee weren’t done, though, and a cute finish from substitute Main allowed him to claim the hosts' fifth.
Cameron’s reward for a fine all-round display was to head into the roof of the net from virtually on the goalline right on the final whistle.
Free-scoring Dundee impressive; Airdrie's set-piece flaws costly
Six goals, six different goalscorers, a host of other chances, some nice football and a place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
Days don’t get a lot better than this for Dundee, who were well worth their win.
That’s 29 goals in seven games so far this season for Tony Docherty’s side. The manager is challenging them to raise the bar and they already seem to be doing that.
The midfield of Mo Sylla, McCowan and Cameron is particularly impressive and will cause all sorts of problems for opponents this season if they can be kept together.
The Dee are now one match away from Hampden and will be filed under ‘ones to avoid’ in the quarter-final draw.
As for Airdrie, they’ll be disappointed their their vulnerability from set-pieces. They faced mission impossible when, at 3-0 down, defender MacDonald was sent off.
The Diamonds played some good football but were just a little soft for opponents from a higher level.
What they said
Dundee manager Tony Docherty: "I couldn’t be more pleased for the players. But I’ve got a group in there that are angry. Angry that they did not keep a clean sheet. That just shows you the type of group I’ve got in there.
"If I’m a Dundee fan watching that there, I’m absolutely purring. To watch your team be so good out of possession and also clinical, brave and showing quality on the ball, it’s a good time to be a Dundee fan."
Airdrieonians player-manager Rhys McCabe: "The manner in which we lose the goals is the frustrating part. There was large parts of the game where there was decent enough stuff. We were playing against a difficult operator, so we knew it was going to be tough. We lost four goals from set-pieces, there’s basics there we could and should have done better with. But Dundee were good.
"I'd be a fraud to tell the boys at our level that we want to play this style of football, but the minute you come up against someone who’s a little bit [superior] to you, we throw our principles in the bin. I’m a firm believer in that style of entertaining football, it works for us."
