Saturday, 21 April 2018

VENUE #109 DUNDEE Dens Park

  DENS PARK  








NEAREST RAILWAY STATION
     Dundee Railway Station is over two miles away from Dens Park and is quite a walk away (25-30mins). Best to jump in a taxi. Leave the station and cross the road at the pedestrian crossing. Take the exit to the right before the Nethergate centre, this exit has steps  leading down to Union Street. Walk up to the top of Union Street and turn right onto the High Street, after a couple of hundred yards veer left into the pedestrianised Murraygate and proceed to the Wellgate centre. Go via the escalators in the Wellgate centre to the top floor of the centre and exit onto Victoria Road. (If Wellgate is closed, turn left along Panmure Street, right up Meadowside and right onto Victoria Road to rear of Wellgate Shopping Centre). 
     Here you have two choices, via the Hilltown (Shorter distance but like climbing the north face of the Eiger) or via Dens Road (much longer but far less likely to induce a heart attack):                                                                            Option 1 (for those fit enough) cross Victoria Road to the foot of the Hilltown walk up this for approx 1/3 mile (it feels like 3) till you reach the junction of Main St & Strathmartine Road this is easily recognisable by the ornamental clock near the junction. Turn right onto Main St and proceed until you reach the junction with Isla St (Church on the corner opposite the excellent Snug Bar). Turn left into Isla Street (at Clepington Church). Continue across Dens Road into North Isla Street and turn left at Tannadice, Dens Park is just up the road.               
     Option 2 Turn right onto Victoria Road proceed about 1/4 mile, veer left at the Eagle Mills into Dens Road. Pass Dura Street, Alexander Street and Dens Road Market then right into Arklay Street. Once you reach Tannadice Street turn left past Tannadice, Dens Park is just up the road.
DENS PARK STADIUM                                                                                         The overall look of Dens Park was greatly improved with the re-development of both ends in the late 1990's. The Bobby Cox & Bob Shankly Stands are similar looking, both being single tiered and roughly of the same height. Both sides are quite old looking stands that date back to the 1920's. The Main (North) Stand is a covered seated stand, unusual in that it is oval in shape, meaning that those sitting on the half way line are furthest away from the playing action. In fact at one time the whole ground was oval. It also has only a small amount of seats in the lower portion of the stand, with the bulk of the seating in the upper part. On the other side is a more conventional single tiered stand, that only runs for about two thirds of the length of the pitch. Both these stands have many supporting pillars that may hinder your view. Dens Park is completed with a set of four tall old fashioned looking floodlights.

     Away fans are housed in the Bob Shankly Stand at one end of the ground, where up to 3,000 supporters can be accommodated. If required then a further 1,000 seats can be allocated in the Main (North) Stand towards the Bob Shankly End. The facilities within the Bob Shankly Stand are quite good and the view of the playing action excellent. The great thing about this stand is that even a relatively small number of away fans can really generate some noise.

GROUND LAYOUT



 A   MAIN STAND



 B   SOUTH STAND - COVERED AND OPEN TERRACE





 C   BOBBY COX STAND





 D   BOB SHANKLY STAND (AWAY)





Today's Visitors  ST. JOHNSTONE  are lying in eighth place in the league table with nothing to play for, they're on 38 points and quite safe from any relegation trauma.  I saw the reverse fixture on the 30th of December last year at McDiarmid park a game which Dundee won 2-0, it looked as though St. Johnstone had been celebrating the coming of the new year a little too early, they were all over the place at times and their shoddy mentality cost them the game.
     In their last ten visits to Dens park honours are level with St. Johnstone and Dundee both winning 4 games with two draws.  Saints biggest win out of the ten came just over a month ago on the 10th of March beating Dundee 4-0, Jordan Piggott had only been on the pitch 5 minutes when he put through his own net to give Saints the lead.  Chris Kane scored 13 minutes later to take Saints to the half time break leading 2-0.  Seventeen minutes into the second half and Blair Alston put the game out of the reach of the Dee with Chris Kane making completely sure with his brace and Saints fourth goal of the afternoon two minutes later.
     With Saints having nothing to play for you would have to favour Dundee in this one with them only 4 points above the relegation play-off position and one more point off the drop, it's a must win for Dundee but let's not forget that this is a derby game and Saints would love to give their fans local bragging rights.   


DUNDEE ... 2    ST. JOHNSTONE ... 1
       A goal by Soften Moussa in the very first minute looked as if it was going to be the only goal of the game but St Johnstone had other ideas and kept plugging away until they found an equaliser in the 85th minute.  Liam Craig fouled Mousse about ten yards outside the Saints penalty area, the free kick was taken a simple affair which Saints failed to deal with, Kevin Holt missed his attempt at the far post but the ball came to Mousse who was never going to miss from virtually on the goal line.


     Missed chances by George Williams and Scott Tanser seemed to sum up Saints day although Dundee had their fair whack of opportunities that also went begging, none more significant than Simon Murray's in the last minute of the first half which flashed wide across the face of the goal.

    St. Johnstone started the second half better and looked to make a game of it but couldn't find a clear path to the Dundee goal.  The closest they came thus far was when Joe Shaughnessy hit the bar with a rasping shot in the 64th minute.  This saw Dundee spring back into life again but they always seemed vulnerable down the left with Williams causing havoc twisting and turning and more times than not reaching the by line but with no finess when putting the ball into the box.


     Saints got their reward though with five minutes of normal time remaining when Steven MacLean found himself with ball on the right hand side of the Dundee six yard box and buried it into the far corner of the net.  You could sense the tension amongst the home fans seeing another victory being ripped from their hands at the death but this time fête had something else in mind for three minutes later as Cammy Kerr is fouled by David Wotherspoon on the right.  Kerr takes the set piece himself and finds the head of Sofien Moussa and the Dundee number nine again puts the Dee in front but this time the dark blues hold on for the three points.

MATCH DETAILS


    
     

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