A lot hinged on this game in terms of how the rest of the league season would pan out for both sides and Dundee travelled to Myreside six points adrift of league leaders Watsonians, knowing that a win was crucial to narrow the gap and maintain their challenge for a top-two place and the chance to regain a Premiership spot.
Both sides had come off unconvincing results last week, Sonians admitting that they were lucky to take the points in a 27-26 win at Hughenden against Hills while Dundee huffed and puffed against Kelso at Mayfield without looking like blowing them away with a 21-12 scoreline.
At Myreside, there was little in it at half time, the capital side in the narrowest of leads at 11-10, having posted a try by prop James Forrester and a couple of Ben Di Rollo penalties.
Dundee replied with a try from Bryce Hosie, which he converted himself, and his added penalty meant that the margin could not have been tighter at the break.
It was a completely different story in the second half. Watsonians took Dundee apart, ran in three tries, clinched the bonus point and left the travelling Mayfield faithful seething at the apparent capitulation of their side.
After the break, sub Mike Ker, scrum half Matt Page and centre Scott McKenna all crossed for Sonians, Ker added two conversions and two penalties and the Dundee reply of a solitary Nick Alston try was never going to be enough to raise the visitors enough to make a decent challenge.
This was a huge game for Dundee and the fact that their second half performance was described by one Mayfield supporter as “woeful” must be a massive worry for coach Colin Robertson.
As a result of the Myreside defeat, the team slip down to fifth spot in the RBS National table, not in itself a crisis spot but now 11 points adrift of league leaders Watsonians and Boroughmuir.
This leaves the Mayfield men having to play a serious game of catch-up if they are to make any impact on the league during the rest of the season.