Both sides sitting atop the RBS National League have escaped Hughenden with the narrowest of wins this season Watsonians by a single point and Boroughmuir by the same margin last week.
So Dundee High knew without doubt that a result away to Hillhead Jordanhill was by no means a foregone conclusion but the final 14-29 scoreline was at least as good as they could have wished for.
It was all about the first half performance from the visitors, who turned 23 points ahead and without having conceded a point, with much of the credit going to the pack which set up a splendid platform.
Alan Brown and fellow prop Steven Longwell, a former Hills favourite, dominated the set-piece allowing Richie McIver time and opportunity to control things at the rear of the pack.
Much of the first half Dundee dominance was due to the astute kicking of No10 Jason Stewart who tantalised the home defence with a variation in kicks to empty space or on to the flanks and from that came the territory and the scores.
With the Hills’ defence in some disarray, wing Matt O’Sullivan took full advantage to run in two tries, with full back Bryce Hosie converting both, and virtually took Dundee out of sight at the break with three penalties.
As the misery rating for the weather increased rapidly, the lights were switched on and with them came an energising of the Hills side and they began to take the game to Dundee, making the visitors thankful that they had built up such a cushion.
Despite the conditions, Hills failed to build on the momentum of the pack and tried to spread the ball in circumstances where an ‘up the jumper’ policy would have been wiser.
Their tries came in the third quarter, Angus Lean crossing for the first then Sean Mills latched on to a Nick Finlay chip into space for number two, with both converted by Andy Leslie.
They ran out of steam in the final quarter, however, Hosie making the game safe with a couple of penalties for Dundee.
High head coach Colin Robertson was delighted to end a run of three successive away games with two victories and with Boroughmuir and Watsonians both losing at home at the weekend, the battle for promotion from the National League is once again fully joined.
“This was a key win for us and to conclude our three away games on the trot, especially given Hillhead Jordanhill’s good home form and the tough game they gave us at Mayfield,” he said.
“We are very much in the promotion race as I expected us to be, and with the teams above us having to come to play us at Mayfield some really interesting challenges lie ahead.”