Are Dundee hitting a purple patch at the perfect time of the season?
It certainly looks that way after their first back-to-back league wins in 2023 and 10 points picked up from the last 12.
The manner of victory against Ayr last week suggested a team finding its groove.
The absolute destruction of Hamilton Accies at Dens Park promises much more than that as they christened their fresh purple look in the most emphatic fashion.
Seven goals scored and it could easily have been more with chances upon chances created.
But what did we learn from the big win?
The numbers
This was the biggest win of the Gary Bowyer era, topping the 6-2 win over Airdrie and 5-1 success against Forfar.
Those two came in cup games. Dundee hadn’t scored seven in a league game for 26 years, since beating East Fife 7-1 in 1996.
It had been even longer since the Dark Blues enjoyed a winning margin this big – 46 years since an 8-0 win at Brockville against Falkirk in 1977.
Even further back is the last home league win by seven goals – 59 years in fact since a 9-2 win over St Mirren at Dens Park with Alan Gilzean scoring a hat-trick.
👔 Gary Bowyer's biggest win as @DundeeFC manager
7️⃣ December 17th, 1996. The last time we scored 7 in a league match in a 7-1 victory away to East Fife.
👍🏻 Our biggest win in the league since we beat Falkirk 8-0 at Brockville on the 22nd January 1977https://t.co/49lddvhggU pic.twitter.com/M9PML34Sjz
— The Dee Archive (@TheDeeArchive) April 1, 2023
And on hat-tricks, Lyall Cameron’s treble was the first by a Dundee player since Osman Sow in December 2020 but also the first by a non-striker since John Brown against Rangers in 1985.
At the other end it was the club’s 19th clean sheet of the season, 14th in the Championship.
And Kwame Thomas became the 21st Dundee player to score a goal this term.
Lyall Cameron
A supreme finisher, Lyall Cameron is taking this season by storm.
Twelve goals now for the campaign, making him the club’s top scorer in all competitions. Zach Robinson still has a healthy lead in terms of league goals but his 10 overall have now been overtaken.
And you wouldn’t bet against Cameron adding to that tally before season’s end with seven of those 12 having come in the last nine games.
But there was more to his performance than just finishing. Playing as part of the midfield two with Jordan McGhee brings added responsibility in a defensive sense.
Cameron, though, isn’t afraid of putting the graft in and he got his rewards for that in front of goal.
That he and the club’s other young talents aren’t already signed up on contracts beyond this summer is a major worry, however.
Cameron is an asset. Letting him leave this summer for anything but a chunky transfer fee would be a travesty.
Left flank
Before Cameron stole the show second half, Dundee’s left flank was having a field day.
Three of the four goals in the opening 45 came from that side with Jordan Marshall and Luke Hannant impressive.
Marshall has had critics this season and hasn’t played to the levels he’s capable of. This, though, was the Geordie back to his best.
A swift one-two with Hannant before an excellent cross set up the opener for Alex Jakubiak. Then a throughball found the run of Luke McCowan for No 4 capped an excellent performance from Marshall. He also found Paul McMullan before he set up Kwame Thomas for the seventh.
And his partner in crime, Hannant, had his best game since signing on loan from Colchester United, too.
Sending in the corner for Ryan Sweeney saw him notch his first assist for the club. And he quickly added a second, sending in the cross for Cameron’s hat-trick header.
More displays like this and the assists will stack up.
Title race
Suddenly the Championship table makes pretty good reading for Dundee fans.
After three wins in the last four, combined with back-to-back defeats for Queen’s Park, the gap is just one point with a game in hand.
With an extra game in March and a lead already gained, the Spiders have missed the chance to stretch away from the Dark Blues.
And if they don’t get back to winning ways this Friday against Partick Thistle, can be overtaken with a Dundee win at Arbroath on Saturday.
Dundee have piled the pressure on and Queen’s Park have stumbled big time.
The Dark Blues have won nothing yet, however. They must keep this form going.
Do that and they’ll be well in control of this title race.
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