Tony Docherty hailed his “relentless” Dundee side as they started the 2024/25 season with a bang at Bonnyrigg.
A Curtis Main hat-trick led the way as the Dark Blues racked up a 7-1 Premier Sports Cup victory that could easily have been more.
Docherty admitted it could even have been double-figures with Fin Robertson hitting the bar and then the post and Luke McCowan also striking the upright in the second half.
“I’m absolutely delighted and it’s just a continuation from last season,” the Dundee boss said.
“You could see the progress from last year when we scraped a 1-0 on the first day of the season.
“Our performance from minute one when Fin Robertson hit the bar to the 90th minute I thought we were so competitive, we were relentless with our intensity and the quality and bravery on the ball was brilliant.
“I couldn’t be more pleased.
“A bit disappointed not to keep a clean sheet but it was seven and we could have scored a lot more.
“It could have been double-figures.
“The fitness levels are there to be seen.
“It was a tricky tie but the mentality of the squad and the professionalism was rewarded.”
Magnificent seven
The writing was on the wall for the League Two side immediately as Robertson cracked the crossbar inside 20 seconds.
Chances came and went for Main, Ethan Ingram and McCowan before Main opened the scoring on 12 minutes as he turned in a McCowan cross on the line.
Three minutes later a Robertson free-kick was headed in by Antonio Portales before Lyall Cameron knocked in on 17 minutes after Scott Tiffoney burst clear.
Main got his second to make it 4-0 on 31 minutes after Cameron set him up.
The goals continued after the break with Ryan Astley grabbing his first goal for the club on 52 minutes, the defender knocking in after Portales had flicked on a McCowan cross.
A brilliant throughball from McCowan on 63 minutes set up Cameron for his second of the day before Smart Osadolor got one back for the hosts.
Main was desperate for this hat-trick and it finally came on 79 minutes as he headed in a Cameron cross to register his first goals for the club.
There was, however, a negative at the end of the match as substitute Charlie Reilly limped off with what looked like a hamstring issue to continue his rotten luck with injuries.
New signing Simon Murray was left on the bench as the club take it easy with his introduction. Instead Jamie Richardson was handed a first-team debut for the final few minutes.
Charlie Reilly
On Main, Docherty said: “Great start for him to get a hat-trick.
“We were gutted to take wee Scott Tiffoney off without him getting his goal.
“The one blot today is Charlie Reilly getting an injury.
“We’ll get it assessed and see how it is.”
He added: “Some of the movement, some of the passing…
“I see that all the time – I just wanted to see it on a matchday and they did that today.
“Credit to Bonnyrigg because they kept going but we were relentless today.”
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