Scott Tiffoney was the star of the show as Dundee kicked off their pre-season campaign with victory at Brechin City.
Tiffoney is a new arrival after an impressive Championship campaign with Partick Thistle last season.
And he continued that form in his first appearance in dark blue as Tony Docherty’s opening match in charge ended with a 5-1 win.
Brechin, last season’s Highland League champions, went close early on through striker Grady McGrath. The former Dundee youngster saw his free-kick tipped past the post by Adam Legzdins, however.
The Dark Blues, though, were in control for the rest of the half with Tiffoney opening the scoring on 18 minutes.
Luke McCowan played him in down the left channel and the new boy made no mistake.
Tiffoney’s second was another impressive finish as he curled in from 18 yards before Max Anderson made it 3-0 at the break, firing into the top corner.
By the hour mark, Dundee’s entire team had changed with a host of youngsters on show. Brechin, though, took advantage with Ewan Loudon following up Fraser MacLeod’s effort to make it 3-1.
The Dark Blues weren’t done yet, however, with trialist Jacob Jones doing his chances of a contract no harm by curling in a free-kick from 25 yards with 10 minutes to go.
There was still time for the youngsters to combine late on as Euan Mutale set up Ross Clark. His effort was saved but Finlay Allan was sharpest to knock in his first Dundee goal to make it 5-1 and a positive outing for Docherty’s Dark Blues.
Line-up
Docherty’s first line-up as Dundee manager was a strong one with Tiffoney joined by fellow new signing Joe Shaughnessy, who captained the side.
There was also a trialist at left-back in Jacob Jones. The 21-year-old is a former Wales U/20 international and was most recently at Forest Green.
The formation was a 4-3-3 set-up with Tiffoney on the left wing and Luke McCowan on the right, both encouraged to cut inside.
Zak Rudden led the line with the returning Zach Robinson not involved.
The midfield was very much homegrown with last season’s Player of the Year Lyall Cameron joined by his fellow academy graduates Anderson and Josh Mulligan.
And that is where the most surprising aspect of Docherty’s first XI came.
Cameron
Dundee’s star man from last season’s Championship success has played much of his career in the No 10 position, sometimes out on the wing.
At Glebe Park, though, he lined up as the deepest of the three midfielders.
Anderson and Mulligan were tasked with supporting Rudden with Cameron utilised in a kind of quarterback-role, starting off passing moves.
In the second half the arrivals of Shaun Byrne and Fin Robertson saw Cameron pushed further forward before he went off around the hour mark.
Tiffoney
It may only be the first friendly of pre-season with minutes in legs and fitness the main focus for the Dark Blues.
As first impressions go, however, Scott Tiffoney couldn’t have asked for a better one.
At Partick Thistle last season he netted 12 times and he continued that scoring streak.
Both goals were fine finishes, the first showing composure when through on goal.
The second was a touch of class, shaping to curl into the far corner but catching the keeper out by whipping the ball into the near post instead.
The 24-year-old could have notched a hat-trick – he’ll be disappointed he didn’t – as a sweeping Dundee move gave him the chance but he fired wide.
A fine start and one that bodes well for the far bigger games to come.
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