Dundee made it two wins from two in pre-season after overcoming Banik Ostrava 3-0 in Poland.
Following an even first half, the Dark Blues ran away with the contest in the second period and the travelling Dees at Stadion MKS Promień thoroughly enjoyed what they saw.
Early on the Czechs had a goal disallowed for a clear offside before Jon McCracken made a fine save from close range to deny Quadri Adediran.
Dundee had chances of their own as Josh Mulligan hit the side-netting and Luke McCowan saw a close-range effort roll agonisingly wide.
Moments before the break, Banik Ostrava’s David Buchta should have made it 1-0 but sent a free header wide from six yards.
Shortly after half-time it was the Dark Blues who grabbed the opener – a first goal as a senior Dundee player for Luke Graham.
McCowan was the creator, dinking in a high cross for the young defender to plant his header past the goalie.
It was 2-0 on 73 minutes and it was another youngster on target as Jamie Richardson smashed home from close range after trialist Alex Rodriguez had hit the bar.
Three minutes later Fin Robertson rounded the goalkeeper and made it 3-0 with an accomplished finish to complete an accomplished evening for Dundee against a side heading for European football this season.
Courier Sport was in Poland to analyse all the action.
Trialists
Starting for Dundee as trialist was Ethan Bristow. As revealed by Courier Sport earlier this week, the Dark Blues are in talks to sign the Minnesota United full-back.
A big unit, Bristow started at left wing-back and showed some good moments bombing forward.
Strong running and good delivery, there was plenty to be encouraged by in his 45 minutes.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis international also took all the corner kicks in the opening half.
He was replaced at the break by Charlie Reilly who was joined for the second half by Dundee’s other trialist, Alex Rodriguez.
The Spaniard spent a season at Motherwell in 2018/19 but has since been at Oxford United before a spell with Forest Green last term.
He started in the base of the midfield three, in place of Mo Sylla.
Rodriguez was very tidy in possession and happy to organise – stepping back into the defence to cover a forward run by Jordan McGhee at one point.
He also grabbed an assist with his chipped shot coming back off the bar and falling for Richardson to finish.
But a yellow card, too. Late on his foul kicked off some argy bargy between the teams and he earned a booking.
New-look defence
Clark Robertson hasn’t travelled to Poland after picking up a hamstring injury, the club are awaiting the results of a scan on his hamstring injury.
Joe Shaughnessy is obviously out with his cruciate knee ligament injury while Antonio Portales also missed this one out with a minor injury.
So it was a new-look back three for the Dee.
Jordan McGhee returned but took his place in the centre of the defence.
On the right was Ryan Astley and on the left was Graham.
They’d never played together as a three and it showed at times but individually they all impressed.
Graham had an excellent game, McGhee was the glue in the middle and Astley is continuing where he left off at the end of last season.
And crucially, the team finished with a clean sheet against very decent opposition.
Made in Dundee
All three goals in this contest came courtesy of the Dundee academy set-up.
Graham is the latest youngster to make the big jump from exciting prospect to fully-fledged first-team player and he’s making a good start to life in the first team.
Jamie Richardson came off the bench in the second half, as he did against Arbroath, and got his name on the scoresheet.
He was in the right place at the right time and he got his reward.
And goal No 3 came from the heart of the Dens Park youth system as Fin Robertson ran in behind and finished well.
All in all, 10 of the players in action either came through or are in the Dundee youth setup.
That bodes well for the future.
Team
Dundee: McCracken (Sharp 66), Astley, McGhee (Kerr 66), Graham (Lochhead 84), Trialist (Reilly 46), Mulligan (Richardson 67), Sylla (Trialist 46), McCowan (Corrigan 73), Cameron (Anderson 66), Tiffoney (F Robertson 66), Palmer-Houlden (Rudden 66).
Subs not used: Legzdins.
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