Dundee3

Dundee Utd 2

Time was, and not so long ago either, that Tayside derbies were as bland, meaningless and insubstantial as the collected works of Sir Elton John. Thankfully, this was not the case here as both sides contrived to produce the most entertaining contest I've witnessed this season.

It's easy for journalists to become jaded after several decades of watching up to 80 matches per season, but this was a match which reminded every observer of just why they fell in love with football in the first place.

It had passion, no little skill, just the right amount of nastiness, and a spirited fightback which had spectators on the edge of their seats for every one of the 40 minutes or so of injury time that referee Kenny Clark contrived to add on. Perhaps he, like the rest of us, simply didn't want it to end.

Once the dust had settled, though, the home side - who had won only six of the previous 36 derbies played at Dens Park - emerged victorious and, despite United's late rally, merited all three points.

It was the manner of their success which was most satisfying for manager Jim Duffy. Equally, his counterpart, Paul Hegarty, will have much to reflect on after this latest setback, not least the part his tactics played in their downfall.

His decision to go man-for-man at the back against Dundee's front three of Nacho Novo, Fabien Caballero, and Steve Lovell back-fired, and United were two down before he switched to a flat back four. It's easy to be critical with hindsight, of course, but Dundee play at a much higher tempo than the visitors, which always made Hegarty's favoured 3-5-2 formation a risky strategy.

Indeed, the lack of pace throughout this United side - Jim Lauchlan at the back, Charlie Miller in midfield, and the patently unfit Steven Thompson up front - was perhaps the main reason for this defeat: that and the fact that Dundee played marvellously well to exploit it, of course.

Their opening goal was the match in microcosm, the hesitancy of United offset by the tenacity and skill of the men in the dark blue jerseys. Lovell displayed both of those qualities in winning a 40-60 challenge against Jamie McCunnie before releasing Novo with a perfectly 40-yard pass.

The Spaniard didn't need to break stride before crossing first time for Caballero to head firmly past Paul Gallacher, with the United rearguard panting behind him.

The second was rather more controversial. For one thing, the ball looked as though it had crossed the by-line before Novo pulled it back for Caballero. His shot was heading wide until it struck Lovell, and the deflection left the goalkeeper helpless.

Lovell, signed by Duffy from Portsmouth and starting the first derby match of his career, was quick to claim it afterwards. ''I asked the referee who he was giving it to and he said that it came off me last. It actually went in off my hand but, of course, I didn't tell him that.''

The opening goal had sparked a period of domination by Dundee which lasted for more than an hour and should have led to more than the one other they scored through full-back Jonay Hernandez, who delivered a composed finish after being set up by Lovell and Giorgi Nemsadze.

That 55th-minute strike prompted a walk-out from a fair percentage of the travelling support, who missed their side's best period of the match, which served them right.

With United in tatters, Dun-dee then unaccountably elected to hold what they had, defending in such depth that a huge gap opened up between their midfield and their front men, allowing the opposition time and space to maneouvre themselves back into the game.

Jim Hamilton reduced the deficit with a snap shot from Lauchlan's knockdown and Jim McIntyre hit an unsaveable shot beyond Julian Speroni from the edge of the area to hand Hegarty's men a lifeline with six minutes of regulation time remaining.

Hamilton might even have rescued an unlikely point, but directed a free header from six yards into the goalkeeper's arms (claiming afterwards he thought he was offside) although, at the other end, Gavin Rae was denied a goal by Gallacher's outstretched right leg.

When the match was finally over, Duffy was relieved and delighted in equal measure, refusing even to contemplate the impact a United equaliser might have had on the morale of a team who lad lost each of their three previous outings.

''For 75 minutes we were exhilarating,'' he claimed, with some justification. ''It was a fantastic game of football and it provided great entertainment.''

Poor Hegarty, on the other hand, was left to forage for crumbs of comfort. ''I've learned more about my players in this match than in the previous eight,'' he said. ''They showed character, commitment, and pride in that second half and shouldn't be ashamed of what they gave me then. As for the first 45 minutes, they need to take a good look at themselves.''

Interestingly, this match attracted 11,539 salivating spec-tators, Dundee's biggest crowd of the season, with United outdrawing both halves of the Old Firm. It should have been witnessed by many more, though.

BBC Scotland had originally chosen this as their Sunday live match, only for Tayside police to object on the grounds that the Rugrats were simultaneously switching on the city's Christmas lights, claiming they lacked the manpower to cover both. Still, at least those who endured the spectacle of Cel-tic's juggernaut rolling in-exorably over Livingston yesterday know who to blame.