Lyall Cameron bagged a first senior hat-trick as on-fire Dundee smashed Hamilton Accies 7-0 at Dens Park.
The new purple look evidently suited the home side as they ran riot in their Black Watch third kit to promote the armed forces charity SSAFA.
After four goals in the first half from Alex Jakubiak, Ryan Sweeney, Cameron and Luke McCowan the Dee kept the pedal to the metal in the second half.
A flurry of missed chances had been passed up before Cameron made it 5-0 on 72 minutes before nodding in his third of the afternoon four minutes later.
Substitute Kwame Thomas would add a seventh with six minutes to go, heading in his first goal for the club.
And to add to the joy in the stands, Queen’s Park slipped to defeat at Raith Rovers to see the Dark Blues move to within a point of the league leaders.
Key moments
There was no hanging about from Gary Bowyer’s side with Jakubiak in the right place at the right time to knock in his second in two games.
It came from a lovely one-two combination between Jordan Marshall and Luke Hannant down the left before Marshall sent in a real teaser of a cross for Jakubiak to turn home.
And the Dark Blues were well in control after just 16 minutes as Hannant swung in a corner for Sweeney to nod in his second in two games.
On the half-hour mark there was a blow for the home side as top scorer Zach Robinson was forced off after a nasty clash of heads.
But that didn’t blunt Dundee’s scoring touch with Lyall Cameron scoring his 10th of the season, turning in a low Josh Mulligan cross on the stroke of half-time.
There was still time for a fourth before the break, however, as the ball popped in behind the Accies defence for McCowan to sprint onto the loose ball and poke beyond Ryan Fulton.
The goals kept coming in the second half and star man Cameron was among them, firing low past Fulton from inside the area on 72 minutes.
And he grabbed his hat-trick just four minutes later as Hannant chipped in a cross for the 20-year-old to head home before he earned a much-deserved ovation from the crowd.
That was among four subs with 10 minutes to go but there was still time for another goal.
This time Kwame Thomas marking his comeback from a lengthy concussion as he headed in goal No 7 and his first for the club.
Dundee’s star man: Lyall Cameron
This was a tricky one with top individual performances across the board – until midway through the second half, that is.
First half the goals and assists were spread out but Cameron stole the show in the second period.
Chances had come and gone for the Dark Blues to add to their four-goal lead but it was Cameron who had the finishing touch.
A first senior hat-trick saw the youngster move onto 12 goals for the season, overtaking Zach Robinson in the scoring charts.
Player ratings
Legzdins 7, Marshall 8, Sweeney 7, Ashcroft 7, Mulligan 8 (Fisher 80, 6), McGhee 7, Cameron 9 (Byrne 80, 6), Hannant 8 (Robertson 80, 6), McCowan 8, Jakubiak 8 (Thomas 80, 7), Robinson 6 (McMullan 32, 7).
Subs not used: Lawlor, Sharp, Clampin, Maguire.
Attendance: 5,019
Manager under the Microscope
Gary Bowyer stuck with the same line-up and formation as the victory over Ayr with Jakubiak and Robinson partnered up top.
Back on the bench were Kwame Thomas, Ryan Clampin and Barry Maguire but there was no sign of Ben Williamson or Max Anderson.
The Dundee boss was forced into an early change, however, as Robinson clashed heads with Fergus Owens and couldn’t continue.
Thomas may have been the natural replacement but, after being out for over a month, he was saved for later. Paul McMullan instead took Robinson’s spot up top.
Bowyer, though, kept his later subs until the starting XI had had their fun at 6-0, sending on some fresh legs for the final 10 minutes.
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