The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Miller hat-trick fires Dee to 4-0 victory at Dens
McIntyre celebrates first win in charge of Dark Blues as veteran striker leads by example and shoots down Accies DUNDEE 4 HAMILTON 0
Kenny Miller grabbed a wonderful hat-trick as Dundee manager Jim McIntyre got his first victory since taking charge of the club.
The home fans had every right to sing “Can we play you every week?” at the Accies players as their own team finally secured their first league win of the season at Dens.
However, they didn’t rub it in – this is the season of goodwill, after all – and instead revelled in the fact that McIntyre’s men are now unbeaten in three matches.
This dominant display produced the rather peculiar statistic that the Dark Blues’ last three significant victories in the league have all come against Accies.
It was Martin Canning’s men they beat in their last Premiership win at Dens – a 1-0 success on May 5 that was followed up with an away victory against Ross County – and the Lanarkshire side were also the opposition the last time Dundee got a league win of any kind, back on September 29.
Man-of-the-match Miller was the hero of the night with a tremendous treble – numbers one, two and four – while Jesse Curran grabbed the third.
On top of two draws against St Mirren and Hibs, this result represents tangible progress under McIntyre.
They now find themselves just a point behind the Buddies and five adrift of Accies, with a game in hand over both.
The Dark Blues were unchanged from the side that kicked off the 2-2 draw against Hibs at Easter Road.
An uneventful opening to the game made way for an Accies chance on seven minutes, with James Keatings’ low drive well held by keeper Jack Hamilton.
Dundee hit on the break after a Hamilton throw-in on 14 minutes, with the ball forward from McGowan delivered to Calvin Miller but his first touch was too heavy and goalie Jan Mucha gathered the ball.
McGowan was involved again for the hosts a few minutes later when he crossed into the danger area for Curran, who sclaffed his shot into the ground.
The Dens men came closest yet on 24 minutes when a fine move involving McGowan was rounded off by a 20-yard strike from Curran that missed Mucha’s right-hand post by an inch with the goalie rooted to the spot.
That was the sign of things to come as the Dark Blues took the lead on 27 minutes. Glen Kamara was the architect as the Finnish international danced around at the edge the box as if looking for space to shoot but instead of letting fly he played a clever pass to captain Miller, whose clipped shot from six yards hit the back of the net.
It could have been 2-0 10 minutes later when another decent move saw Curran pass to Cammy Kerr, who then found McGowan. The midfielder then fed the ball on to Kenny Miller but he snatched at his shot and it flew over the bar when he should have done better.
Hamilton had a go on 41 minutes but Keatings’ well-struck shot from just outside the area whizzed just wide.
Just before the break, Accies full-back Scott McMann had a shot blocked brilliantly by Kerr.
The second half was just six minutes old when Dundee doubled their lead and they had that man Miller to thank once again.
It was a super-cool finish from the former Scotland star, who collected the ball after an attempted clearance by Accies defender Delphin Tshiembe.
The skipper still had plenty to do and he executed it in style, smashing a shot home from 20 yards.
The 61 away fans must have wished they hadn’t bothered making such a gargantuan effort on a cold midweek night and they were worried again when Martin Woods sent a free-kick over for Dundee on 57 minutes.
They were on their way back to their cars on 69 minutes when Curran’s shot from the corner of the box was deflected by Hamilton’s Ziggy Gordon and it was 3-0 to the hosts.
With 79 minutes on the clock, it was close to being four as Calvin Miller’s low cross from the left just missed the outstretched boot of Curran, who was sliding in on goal.
The hosts brought on Lewis Spence for Woods and Dundee’s domination continued when they made it 4-0 with 10 minutes to go.
Miller was the main man for the third time, collecting a ball in midfield, stepping forward and then blasting a 20-yard shot past Mucha.
Dundee played the last few minutes without defender Darren O’Dea who had to go off injured.
There was still time for a spectacular save from Hamilton, who dived to save sub Rakish Bingham’s header with just a minute left. That was it, though, and – at long last – the home fans were buzzing as they made their way their way home.
Attendance: 4,426.
Dundee: Hamilton, Kerr, Ralph, Woods (Spence 80), Kusunga, O’Dea, Kamara, C. Miller (Boyle 82), P. McGowan, K. Miller (Men dy 89), Cur ran. Subs not used: Parish, Moussa, Inniss, Lambert.
Hamilton: Mucha, A. McGowan, McMann, Gordon, Tshiembe, Imrie (Boyd 68), Keatings (74), M. Miller, MacKinnon, Martin, Brustad (Bingham 52). Subs not used: Marsden, Bloomfield, Want, Sowah.
Referee: John Beaton.