The New Year honours went to Dundee as they beat city neighbours Dundee United on derby day at Dens Park.
The Tangerines took the lead through a superb freekick from Blair Spittal on 15 minutes before Kane Hemmings fired the Dark Blues level on 41 minutes.
What proved to be the winner for the home side came on 62 minutes when a strike from Nick Ross took a wicked deflection off United’s Sean Dillon to make it 2-1.
The Dark Blues handed a first start of the season to Cammy Kerr, while Paul McGinn also came in.
Out went the suspended Greg Stewart, while Gary Irvine dropped down to the bench where he was joined by club captain Kevin Thomson.
As expected, United went with new signing Eiji Kawashima in goal.
The Japanese international had done enough during his short time since his Hogmanay arrival to persuade manager Mixu Paatelainen to give him the nod over Michal Szromnik, who wasn’t even named as a substitute.
The visitors were without the injured Callum Morris and the banned Mark Durnan.
They brought back Dillon, who came on as a sub during the match against Hearts in midweek to replace Morris after he hurt his knee ligament, while Spittal was also promoted from the bench.
Cauld winter was howlin’ around a packed stadium as the game got under way.
It was a typically frantic derby opening but United nearly gifted Dundee a dream start on seven minutes thanks to an error from defender Gavin Gunning.
The Irishman was way short with a passback to Kawashima as Hemmings raced in but the new goalie did well to boot upfield and Dundee failed to capitalise.
There was a major blow for the home team on nine minutes when James McPake raced out to challenge an inrushing John Rankin, who had taken a poor first touch.
It looked like McPake had won the ball in a 50-50 but he was badly hurt in the process and was treated on the park for several minutes.
McPake was eventually carried off on a stretcher with a quarter of an hour of the game gone believed to have sustained a dislocated knee cap – to be replaced by Kostadin Gadzhalov.
Once the dust settled, referee Kevin Clancy gave a freekick to the away team and that would prove a crucial award.
Standing 22 yards from goal, up stepped Spittal to float in a beautiful strike with his right foot that was touched by Dundee goalie Scott Bain but still rattled the back of the net.
On 27 minutes, the home team had an opportunity when United’s Paul Dixon slipped inside the box, leaving Hemmings with a clear sight of goal. However, Kawashima did well to save his angled drive.
United thought they had gone 2-0 up on 35 minutes when Billy Mckay played the ball goalwards but Kevin Holt cleared off the line just in time.
The visitors had a penalty claim when Scott Fraser went down inside the box but Mr Clancy waved play on then Bain did well to save a shot from outside the box from Rankin.
With just four minutes to go until half-time, the Dark Blues pulled level.
The loose ball was drilled home by Hemmings from 10 yards after Kawashima had failed to deal properly with a freekick into the goalmouth from Nicky Low, the debut-maker failing with an attempted punch.
United were on the attack again and Mckay’s cross from the right just needed a touch but Erskine couldn’t reach it as it raced across the face of the Dundee goal.
The match was pretty niggly and United’s Guy Demel, who had been booked earlier for his reaction to being fouled by Ross, was lucky not to have been punished for appearing to catch Low with his knee just before the break.
After the interval, Spittal sent another freekick just past the post on 53 minutes then Paul McGowan did the same for the hosts with his long-range shot.
United lost a heartbreaking goal on 62 minutes as Dundee grabbed the lead.
Ross was the scorer with his first counter for the Dens men but he got a big break as the ball took a cruel deflection off United defender Dillon and sent Kawashima the wrong way.
McGowan should have added to Dundee’s lead five minutes later but he somehow screwed his shot beyond the far post from close range.
United were reduced to 10 men for the second match in a row on 82 minutes when Demel picked up his second booking of the match from dragging Low to the ground near the away dugout.
Spittal had a chance with a freekick from the edge of the box with five minutes remaining but his shot was deflected for a corner.
That was that for United as the Dens men held on for the victory.
Attendance: 11,025.
Dundee: Bain, Holt, Konrad, McPake (Gadzhalov 15), Low, Hemmings, Ross, McGowan, McGinn, Harkins (Thomson 71), Kerr (Irvine 76). Subs not used: Mitchell, Loy, Calder, Skelly.
Dundee United: Kawashima, Dillon, Dixon, Mckay, Rankin, Erskine (Bodul 67), McGowan, Gunning (Murray 76), Spittal, Fraser, Demel. Subs not used: Zwick, Souttar, Telfer, Spark, Donaldson.
Referee: Kevin Clancy.