Dundee ended two decades of pain at Tannadice after beating Dundee United 4-2.
Manager Tony Docherty says the victory is payback for the support he and the team have received in their poor recent run.
The Dark Blues had been dragged into a relegation scrap after a run of eight Premiership matches without victory, a sequence going back over two months.
However, the success at Tannadice has pushed Docherty’s side five points away from bottom side St Johnstone and to within a point of Kilmarnock in 10th.
Now he wants to see his side push on after a superb first-half display brought a priceless three points.
“We were outstanding first half. We were really strong in terms of possession and getting into the final third,” Docherty said.
“And we were clinical – we scored six goals, two of them arguably offside. One was by an elbow so really tight.
“And then we showed the other side in the second half with Dundee United coming down the slope.
“We showed real determination, real resilience to see it out.
“It was a deserved three points and with so much riding on it.
“I challenged the players to go into the history books, becoming the first Dundee team to win at Tannadice in over 20 years.
“They stepped up to the plate and I’m hugely proud of them for doing so.
“Some of our play, we could have been out of sight.
“We could have been 5-1 up. And to do that against your nearest rivals, who are having a good season, who are a good side at home, speaks volumes of the quality of player that I’ve got in there.
“The thing that pleases me most is the mentality.”
Frantic
A frantic first-half was kicked off with a Lyall Cameron goal, only for VAR to intervene to chop it off after spotting a marginal offside against Seun Adewumi.
Dundee could have let that affect them but instead it spurred them on to one of the most impressive displays of attacking football all season.
Minutes after that disallowed goal, Ziyad Larkeche crossed for Jordan McGhee to nod in his first of two first-half goals.
That was on 17 minutes, on 23 minutes it was 2-0 as Scott Tiffoney’s shot from 20 yards somehow squirmed through Jack Walton’s grasp.
Poor defending gifted United possession at the other end and allowed Glenn Middleton to cut the arrears by curling a fine goal into the top corner.
But Dundee weren’t finished in the opening half and neither was Jordan McGhee. Will Ferry’s error gave Adewumi the chance to tee up McGhee and he curled a beauty into the far corner.
And just seconds after that a second disallowed goal spared United blushes after Ross Graham had put into his own net.
It was 3-1 at the break and went to 3-2 shortly after the restart as Kristijan Trapanovski pulled United to within a goal once more.
But Dundee showed spirit to hold off the United charge and stoppage time saw Murray knocked down by Emmanuel Adegboyega.
The United defender earned a red card and Murray made no mistake from the spot before sprinting the entire field to celebrate in front of home supporters.
‘A deserved four’
“Simon will do everything for his team,” Docherty added.
“I’m really pleased for him that he got that last kick of the ball, got the penalty and make it four.
“I think it was a deserved four.
“There was a real challenge put in front of the players to get back into the pack, go five clear of St Johnstone and pull the other ones into it.
“But more than that, to answer up to that record of 20 years not winning it to Tannadice, that shouldn’t sit well with any Dundee fan, with any Dundee supporter. And they answered that up today.
“They deserve a hell of a lot of credit for that.
“It’s a real reward to the fans.
“I was really gutted in terms of the Hearts performance, gutted for the fans, because I’ve seen what a brilliant turnout we had.
“Since I’ve been in the job, they’ve been nothing but outstanding, in terms of support for the players, support for myself.
“But hopefully a derby win today and ending a 20-year hoodoo, hopefully that repays that.”
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