It was a stroll in the sunshine for Dundee United as they proved too hot for Cowdenbeath on the warmest day of the year.
The Tangerines eased home 6-1 at Tannadice in the second of their Betfred Cup Group C matches.
Hat-trick hero Simon Murray started it all off on just four minutes, bundling the ball home from close range.
Scott Fraser then sent over a terrific freekick that was fired into the Fifers’ net by Lewis Toshney to make it 2-0 with a mere eight minutes on the clock.
Cammy Smith made it three on 21 minutes with an angled drive from 12 yards but a great goal from Cowden’s Chris Turner on 25 minutes – a superb, long-range strike – gave the visitors hope on 25 minutes.
Murray then converted a cutback from Smith to make it 4-1 on 32 minutes then got a well-deserved treble on 72 minutes. Sub Henri Anier finished the demolition job three minutes from time.
The Tangerines had new Dutch frontman Nick van der Velden on the bench after formalising his signing just before kick-off.
The stadium was absolutely sweltering and the hosts were on fire on just four minutes.
A fine move down the left saw Tope Obadeyi send the ball into the goalmouth, where Murray was perfectly positioned to stab the ball home from close range. It might have been a bit of a miskick but he wasn’t caring.
Toshney then made it 2-0 on just eight minutes when he ghosted in to fire a Fraser freekick past McGurn at the back post.
It should have been three to the hosts on 12 minutes when Murray broke clear. His shot was saved by McGurn then the ball rebounded to the inrushing Smith, whose netbound strike was blocked by Cowden defender Gerry McLauchlan.
On 21 minutes, Fraser showed a touch of class to break into space in midfield before threading a great ball to Smith, who was unmarked inside the box. The Aberdeen loan man took his time before slamming the ball beyond McGurn to put the Tangerines 3-0 up.
Just when we were all thinking that it was all but game over, Turner raised several eyebrows and even applause among the home fans by blasting a curling 25-yard shot past United keeper Cammy Bell to give the visitors a lifeline on 25 minutes.
Fraser almost restored the three-goal advantage on the half-hour when he curled a left-footed shot inches wide but United did find the net again on 32 minutes.
It was more Murray magic that did the trick, with the former Arbroath frontman scoring with a crisp shot after a cutback from the right by Smith.
The plush turf was finally cast in shadow as the second half started but Fraser looked bright when he sent a snap-shot just over on 52 minutes.
The United fans got their first look at Van der Velden on 62 minutes, when he and Blair Spittal came on for Obadeyi and Fraser respectively.
Murray had the ball in the Cowden net on 70 minutes but it was chalked off for a foul on McGurn.
However, the striker was toasting a treble just two minutes later when his low drive beat McGurn from eight yards.
Murray’s work done for the night, he made way for Anier to loud applause.
Smith stung McGurn’s hands with a vicious strike from outside the box with just three minutes to go. The ball was dropped by the goalie and went through his legs but, thankfully for him, stayed the other side ot the line.
There was still time for sub Anier to race clear, draw the Cowden keeper out then pick his spot with a neat shot to finish the scoring at 6-1.
Attendance: 3,360.
Dundee United: Bell, Dillon, Durnan, Toshney, Murdoch, Murray (Anier 75), Fraser (Spittal 62), Obadeyi (Van der Velden 62), Smith, Flood. Subs not used: Zwick, Donaldson, Telfer, Souttar.
Cowdenbeath: McGurn, Brett, Mullen, Moore, Craig, Miller, Turner (Robertson 76), Ross, Renton (Johnston 70), Rutherford, McLauchlan (O’Brien 46). Subs not used: Sneddon, Swann, Leslie.
Referee: Crawford Allan.
