Dundee eased into the new season with a 2-1 win over Dumbarton at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium thanks to defender Cammy Kerr, who scored in each half.
However the evening was marred by an injury to youngster Calvin Colquhoun who was carried off just two minutes after coming on.
Dark Blues boss Hartley gave starting debuts to summer recruits Danny Williams, Mark O’Hara and Yordi Teijsse, however James Vincent was missing due to a knock.
Teijsse had the game’s first chance after five minutes when Williams picked the Dutchman out with a cross, however his header was easily gathered by Jamie Ewings in the home goal.
O’Hara tried his luck with a dead ball from 30 yards on eight minutes and despite his effort beating the home side’s defensive wall it curled wide of goal.
Dundee opened the scoring on 21 minutes when Darren O’Dea lofted a free kick behind the Sons defence that appeared to catch Ewings in two minds and Kerr slipped the ball past the shot-stopper before winning a race with Mark Docherty to net.
Just before the break the hosts missed a fantastic opportunity to level when Robert Thomson was sent clear on goal by Andy Stirling however the former Brechin City striker sent his shot high over the bar and out of the ground.
The Sons came close to levelling at the start of the second half when their Romanian trialist interval substitute rose to meet a Stevenson free kick however his header flashed just wide.
Dundee’s first chance of the second period came on 52 minutes when Kerr’s cross from the right picked out Rory Loy however his glancing header failed to trouble Ewings.
Dumbarton probed for a leveller and they got one on 70 minutes when Gregor Buchanan rose to meet a Stevenson corner and nodded home from six yards out.
The evening ended in disappointing fashion for Colquhoun who came on with 15 minutes left only to be on the receiving end of a crunching challenge from one of Dumbarton’s trialists.
With just seven minutes left Dundee grabbed the winner when Greg Stewart floated over a free kick from the right and Kerr ghosted in at the back post to head home.
Dundee – Bain (Mitchell 46), Holt (Dryden 78), Williams (Loy 46), O’Hara, Etxabeguren (Allan 65), Ross (Wighton 58), Teijsse (Stewart 46), O’Dea, Gadzhaloz, Harkins (Colquhoun 75, Black 78), Kerr.
