Dundee sealed their place in the knockout stage of the League Cup despite their squad being decimated by a Covid crisis.
Just hours before the match the Dark Blues revealed they had a positive coronavirus case and a number of players were self-isolating as a result.
It’s understood that number stands at six in total.
However, despite being short of numbers the Dark Blues continued their 100% start to the season with a 5-2 win over Forfar Athletic in front of 2,000 home fans.
First half goals from Charlie Adam, Corey Panter and Christie Elliott had the home side in control.
The Loons made their mark in the second half with Stefan McCluskey and Grant Anderson goals sandwiching a Jason Cummings penalty.
Cummings would then add a second with a late header.
To add to their Covid problems, Dark Blues skipper Charlie Adam and defender Liam Fontaine both went off injured.
Victory saw Dundee win Group C while Forfar finished in second spot.
Missing men
Despite being six players light, Dark Blues boss James McPake was still able to name a strong starting XI.
Missing through either injury or because of the single positive Covid case were Cammy Kerr, Jordan Marshall, Ryan Sweeney, Jordan McGhee, Alex Jakubiak, Shaun Byrne and Luke McCowan.
That meant a debut for Luton Town loanee Corey Panter and first starts of the season for Jason Cummings, Fin Robertson, Max Anderson, Danny Mullen and Christie Elliott.
Young defender Jack Wilkie, son of former Dee Lee, took a place on the bench alongside new signing Cillian Sheridan.
Forfar, meanwhile, were forced into two changes as loanees Luke Strachan and Sam Fisher couldn’t feature against their parent club.
In came Yusuf Hussain and Michael Travis while manager Gary Irvine and first-team coach Gary Harkins took spots on the bench.
Dee menace
The hosts began the match in menacing fashion, both Lee Ashcroft and Liam Fontaine threatening from corners and Charlie Adam bringing an early save from Marc McCallum.
And they opened the scoring after 13 minutes as Cummings powered down the right side of the area before flashing the ball across goal for Adam to tap in at the far post.
Just four minutes later they were down another man, however, as Fontaine pulled up.
That saw Declan McDaid come on as a makeshift left-back and Panter move to central defence.
On 18 minutes, good feet from Anderson set up a shot for Cummings but he hammered the ball straight at the goalie.
On the half-hour Dundee made their dominance count as Panter grabbed his first senior goal.
McDaid’s corner wasn’t dealt with by the visitors and the Luton man was on hand to smash the ball into the goal via a defender’s leg.
Both benches were in action before the half-time break as Adam was replaced by Paul McGowan for Dundee and Forfar player-manager Irvine came on for Michael Travis.
There was still time for another goal before the whistle, though, as Elliott tapped in a low McDaid cross from close range on 42 minutes.
Goals, goals, goals
Immediately after the break it looked like Mullen would make it 4-0 only to see his effort brilliantly blocked by Craig Slater.
It was the visitors, though, that grabbed the fourth goal of the afternoon.
Nice play down the right from Craig Thomson saw the wide man fire the ball across for McCluskey to finish from close range.
More subs arrived on 63 minutes with another Dundee debut made as new striker Sheridan made his bow.
But for the leg of McCallum it would have been 4-1 on 69 minutes as Anderson burst into the area.
Six minutes later the extra goal did come for the Dark Blues as McMullan was knocked over in the area.
Referee Grant Irvine pointed to the spot and Cummings rattled the ball beyond McCallum and into the corner.
McMullan went close to adding yet another but saw the goalkeeper get down well to stop his low effort.
Forfar, though, weren’t finished either as substitutes Matthew Aitken and Anderson teamed up to make it 4-2, the former finding the latter with a low cross.
Cummings had the chance to make it 5-2 as he ran in behind only to be denied by a combination of goalkeeper and defender.
Seconds later he did just that, nodding in a McMullan corner at the far post on 87 minutes.
That would be the end of the scoring, however, as Dundee finished their Premier Sports Cup group with 12 points from 12.
The draw for the knockout stage takes place after tomorrow’s match between Hearts and Inverness CT.
Teams
Dundee: Legzdins, Elliott, Ashcroft, Fontaine (McDaid 17), Panter, Robertson, Anderson, Adam (McGowan 36), McMullan, Mullen (Sheridan 63), Cummings.
Subs not used: Lawlor, Wilkie, Sharp.
Forfar: McCallum, Meechan, Hussain (Gallagher 63), Travis (Irvine 38), Munro, Slater, Thomas (Aitken 63), Thomson (Anderson 76), Crossan, McCluskey, Shepherd (Doris 76).
Subs not used: Harkins, Sanderson.
Referee: Grant Irvine
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