Football: TOM'S BOMB BLASTS DONS

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Sep 21, 2003 | by WALLACE MOORE

TOM COWAN won't forget his first Dens Park appearance for Dundee in a long time.

Dark Blues' boss Jim Duffy gave the former Rangers defender the nod after Jonay Hernandez's poor performance against Celtic a week earlier.

And Cowan repaid the manager's faith with a couple of spectacular contributions in the space of two minutes.

Cowan's magnificent strike after 27 minutes set Dundee on the way to a home league win over Aberdeen - something they had achieved only twice previously since the Premier League was formed in 1975.

The left-back was lurking outside the area when the Dons scrambled the ball away after Fabian Caballero had a shot blocked.

Cowan let fly from 30 yards and the ball was a blur to keeper David Preece as it powered into the far corner.

Two minutes later Scotland centre-half Lee Wilkie played a crazy pass across his box and Julian Speroni mis-kicked as he attempted to clear.

Markus Heikkinen managed to take the ball away from the Dundee keeper but Cowan got in a saving tackle before the Swede could shoot.

Aberdeen fans screamed for a penalty but referee Craig Thomson gave the new Dens hero the benefit of the doubt.

Aberdeen did get a spot kick in 34 minutes but failed to make it count.

Wilkie was judged to have tripped Fergus Tiernan as he raced into the box from the left but David Zdrilic cracked his penalty against Speroni's post.

It might have been a different game if that golden chance had been taken. Dundee fans will argue it would certainly have been different if Juan Sara had brought his shooting boots.

The Argentinean's best chance to make a name for himself came in 23 minutes.

He did everything right as he made some space for himself to meet a Nacho Novo cross from the left.

Sara took the ball down skilfully with his chest - and then misfired in front of goal.

There was at least some excuse for the striker when he scorned another opening five minutes before half-time.

Caballero's shot came back at speed from the base of a post and Sara simply couldn't steer it onto the target.

Failure to take these chances left the outcome in doubt until the 81st minute.

Newly arrived substitute Barry Smith's quickly taken free allowed Novo to race clear and beat Preece.MAN OF THE MATCH GAVIN RAE

Powerhouse midfield performance from the Dundee skipper.

DUNDEE: Speroni 6, Mackay 6, Wilkie 6, Mair 6, Cowan 7, Brady 5 (Smith 5), RAE 8, Nemsadze 7, Novo 6, Caballero 6, Sara 6 (Lovell 3).

ABERDEEN: Preece 6, McNaughton 7, Anderson 6, Hart 6, McQuilken 6, Tosh 5, (Sheerin 4), Heikkinen 6, Tiernan 7, Muirhead 6, Mackie 6, Zdrilic 6 (Hinds 4).

MANAGER RATINGS: Duffy 7; Paterson 6.

REFEREE: C Thomson 7.