Dundee United climbed to the top of the Premiership with a swagger and a smile as they totally dominated Dundee in the city derby at Dens Park.
The Tangerines ousted Inverness Caley Thistle to lead the league on goals scored thanks to a Mario Bilate penalty, a Ryan Dow strike, a header from Callum Morris and another header from Keith Watson.
To put the tin hat on a terrible day for the Dark Blues, central defender Thomas Konrad was sent off with just a minute to go after picking up a second booking for fouling young Tannadice player Scott Smith.
They did manage to get a goal back deep into injury-timea fine strike from Greg Stewartbut this was a derby drubbing and the frustrating thing for Dundee fans must be the fact that their team never really had a go at their visitors.
United, on the other hand, created chance after chance and looked likely winners almost from the off.See full match reaction and photos in Monday’s CourierNow the sides have to do it all again on Wednesday night at Tannadice and a vast improvement is required from Dundee if they are to have any chance of staying in the League Cup.
The Dark Blues were unchanged from the side that started their terrific away win over St Johnstone eight days previously.
The Tangerines were forced into one change. The fit-again Ryan Dow replaced the suspended Nadir Ciftci, who got himself sent off in their 2-2 home draw with Hamilton. Stuart Armstrong, who had been out for a month with an ankle injury, was on the bench.
Referee Steven McLean led the teams out wearing a red and black kit that wasn’t a million miles away from United’s colours.
With just one minute on the clock, Chris Erskine raced upfield for United and fed a pass through to Bilate. The striker’s shot was saved well by goalie Kyle Letheren but the offside flag was already up.
Erskine was looking in the mood for the visitors and he sent over a cross from the left that was headed goalwards by Dow but didn’t really trouble Letheren.
On five minutes, there was a worry for United when defender Jarek Fojut made a hash of an attempted clearance inside his own box but the hosts couldn’t capitalise on the mistake.
On nine minutes, it was the visitors on the attack and once more Erskine troubled Dundee by creating space for himself just outside the box. His shot, though, was pulled to the left and Letheren watched it fly away to safety.
The visitors enjoyed the better of the opening stages and they nearly made the breakthrough on 20 minutes when Gary Mackay-Steven danced up the right before sending over a dangerous cross that had to be headed over his own bar by home defender James McPake.
United did edge ahead on 25 minutes and it was a combination of strength and skill that earned them a penalty.
Firstly, a crunchingbut fairtackle by the impressive Paul Paton robbed Jim McAlister of possession inside the Dundee half.
The ball was played forward to Mackay-Steven, who raced into the penalty area and tried to glide past Dark Blues defender Konrad only for the German to put his arm on the winger and shove him to the floor.
Referee McLean pointed to the spot and booked Konrad.
Up stepped Bilate to coolly send Letheren the wrong way to make it 1-0 to the Tannadice team.
Dundee won a freekick after Stewart was brought down just outside the visitors’ box but Gary Harkins’ setpiece was played right into United keeper Rado Cierzniak’s arms.
On 38 minutes, the Dens men finally had their supporters on their feet when Harkins chipped the ball to the back post, where Phil Roberts met it full on but his shot battered the sidenetting instead of the inside of the goal.
Erskine was booked for a late tackle on Roberts in front of the South Enclosure a couple of minutes later but once again the hosts wasted the freekick opportunity.
They had another setpiece chance when Paton earned a yellow card for another challenge on Roberts just seconds before half-time. This time the delivery from the right was good from Simon Ferry and McAlister’s header looped onto the roof of Cierzniak’s goal.
As the second half kicked off the onus was on Dundee to take the game to their neighbours and Paul McGinn tried to do just that on with a cross to the back post but there were no takers.
United, though, went 2-0 up on 54 minutes and it was comeback man Dow who had the away fans celebrating.
A hospital pass from Paul McGowan to McAlister left the Dundee midfielder vulnerable to a challenge again and Dow clipped the ball off his opponent.
The lifelong Tangerines fan sprung forward, took the ball beyond Konrad then blasted a low shot into the net to send his fellow supporters wild. Dow was booked for celebrating before the home team brought on Luka Tankulic for Roberts and the visitors replaced Erskine with Armstrong.
The Tangerines had to wait only five minutes to make it 3-0. It was a wonderful freekick delivery from the left by Paton that sat up perfectly for the inrushing Morris to bullet home a header at the near post.
Up at the other end, Keith Watson threw himself in front of a Harkins shot to prevent the Dark Blues from getting one back on the hour mark.
The hosts brought on young frontman Craig Wighton for Harkins on 66 minutes but it was still United who were doing most of the pressing, with Dow the latest to find space in the box but he was only able to lift the ball into Letheren’s hands.
Dundee’s Stewart was booked on 70 minutes for a foul on Paton before United’s Watson suffered the same fate or a clumsy challenge on Wighton.
The United fans were enjoying themselves now and they chose to wind up Dundee boss Paul Hartley, who has been linked with the vacant manager’s job at Cardiff City. “Hartley must stay” was their view.
Blair Spittal, who had come on for Bilate, fired a long-range freekick into the arms of Letheren on 77 minutes.
It was all United and it was no surprise when they went 4-0 up on 79 minutes.
Paton, the best player on the park, provided the ammunition after Armstrong had been fouled out near the left-hand side corner flag by McGowan. The Northern Ireland international fired the setpiece to the back post where Watson was waiting to nod into the net.
The Tangerines, with the game now well and truly won, brought on youngster Scott Smith and gave a well-earned rest to Paton.
Rankin sent a low shot just inches wide before Konrad got his marching orders for second yellow card.
At least Dundee kept going and they grabbed a consolation in the 93rd minute when Stewart beat Cierzniak with a fine shot.
That was the only decent moment for Dundee, though, in a torrid afternoon.
United, for their part, took the walk back down the road with that swagger and smile and, on this evidence, will be looking forward to the second part of the derby double-header.
Attendance: 11,447.
Dundee: Letheren, Irvine, Konrad, McPake, Ferry (Boyle 75), Roberts (Tankulic 57), Stewart, McGowan, McGinn, McAlister, Harkins (Wighton 66). Subs not used: Bain, McBride, Clarkson, Kerr.
Dundee United: Cierzniak, Watson, Morris, Fojut, Dillon, Paton (Smith 81), Rankin, Dow, Erskine (Armstrong 58), Mackay-Steven, Bilate (Spittal 67). Subs not used: Szormnik, Telfer, Connolly, Spark.
Referee: Steven McLean.