Reporter: Jim Davie

Lochee United 4 North End 0

Lochee United gained revenge for their away defeat at the hands of North End back in September with a convincing victory at Thomson Park.

It all went wrong for the visitors in the first 15 minutes when they found themselves two goals down and a man short.

On 10 minutes the Bluebells won a corner kick when Kevin Milne’s cross was knocked behind by Brian Rice. When the corner came over there was Dougie CAMERON to bullet the ball past Neal Ferrie in the Dokens’ goal.

Five minutes later, the home side doubled their lead. Alan Tulleth’s corner kick was met by the head of Danny Millar who saw his effort parried by Ferrie, but full back Liam Gibb was adjudged to have handled the ball on the line to prevent a certain goal.

Gibb was shown a straight red card and CAMERON stepped up to thrash the ball high into the net.

North End dangerman Gary Sutherland was being well shackled by the Lochee back three of Millar, Greg Kirk and Garry Kenneth, though he was hampered somewhat by an early knock.

On 27 minutes the Bluebells made it three. Danny CAVANAGH let fly from the edge of the box and the ball took a deflection to send Ferrie the wrong way.

It was all Lochee at this stage and Milne almost made it four with a backheeler that Ferrie clutched on the line.

Norht End’s best effort came from a Jamie Montgomery cross that was headed over the bar by Sutherland.

Five minutes from half time Lochee’s Tulleth picked up a silly yellow card for moving the ball away at a visitors’ free kick and that was to come back and haunt him minutes later. Racing on to a through ball from Cavanagh he clashed with keeper Ferrie and was shown a second yellow.

The second half was a bit of a disappointment with Lochee not looking like adding to their lead and North End not looking like cutting the deficit, although they did have a couple of early free kicks that were easily dealt with by new keeper Josh Gorton.

Kirk had a header from a Cameron corner that flashed narrowly over the bar and, at the other end, visiting winger Smith shot over the top.

With eight minutes left Lochee wrapped up the scoring. Kirk found substitute Ross McDonald who set up CAVANAGH to drive the ball home from the edge of the box.

Gorton did well to mark his home debut with a shutout when he got down well to hold a Sutherland effort and, on 90 minutes sub Kevin Buchan had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside.

A comfortable victory then for Lochee but credit to North End for not giving up and making more of a game of it in the second half.

Lochee United: Gorton, Millar, Kenneth, Kirk, McNally, Cavanagh (Davie 87), Cameron, Lawson, Webster (McDonald 76), Tulleth, Milne (Buchan 85).

North End: Ferrie, Gibb, Rice, Archibald, Lawrie (Roy 75), Allan, Malone (McCabe 61), Montgomery, Sutherland, Smith, Devine.