Dundee 4 St Mirren 0: Amadou Bakayoko hits dream double as Buddies lose pace with Rangers
AMADOU Bakayoko was the hero for Dundee as he turned Saints into sinners with a stunning two goal display.
The Sierra Leone striker blew the Buddies apart with goals either side of Zak Rudden’s penalty in first half stoppage time.
And sub Zach Robinson added insult to injury when he touched home the fourth late on to complete an emphatic win for the Tayside outfit.
It was yet another fantastic win for Tony Docherty’s men as they continue their super start on their return to the top flight.
But it was a shocking display by third place St Mirren who just never looked at the races all day.
Saints came into the game after rescuing a point at home to Hibs with Lewis Jamieson grabbing an injury time equaliser.
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Dundee came into the match on a high after their 1-0 win over Livingston last Sunday, thanks to a Luke McCowan wonder-strike
Both managers made change each to their starting line ups.
Home boss Tony Docherty brought Malachi Boateng into the middle of the park at the expense of Mo Sylla.
Saints were delighted to welcome back Aussie ace Keanu Baccus to their starting line up, but less happy that he was replacing skipper Mark O’Hara who had to sit out through injury.
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Both sides were led onto the pitch by a piper and both sets of fans and players observed an impeccable minute’s silence for Remembrance Day.
Rudden almost broke the deadlock in the first seconds when he outmuscled Richard Taylor but his effort smashed the post with Zach Hemming in the Saints goal helpless.
Dundee stopper Ricki Lamie had to be alert on 12 minutes to intercept an Alex Gogic cut back after the Cypriot international burst down the left hand side of the box.
And the home side took the lead on 16 minutes when St Mirren couldn’t clear an Owen Beck corner kick, and Bakayoko reacted first to rifle home a powerful finish from around 12 yards out.
The Verdict
How they rated...
DUNDEE: Carson 6, Beck 7, Shaughnessy 7, McGhee 7 (Kerr 89, 1), Bakayoko 9 (Pineda 90, 1), Cameron 7 (Cameron 89, 1), Lamie 7, McCowan 7, Rudden 8 (Robinson 84, 3), Boateng 7, Portales 7.
St MIRREN: Hemming 5, Tanser 5, Taylor 4 (Dunne 45, 4), Mandron 4 (Olusanya 45, 4), McMenamin 4 (Jamieson 45, 4), Kiltie 4 (Greive 45, 4), Gogic 5, Boyd-Munce 5 (Small 70, 1), Baccus 5, Fraser 5, Strain 5.
The travelling Paisley fans weren’t shy in letting Dundee No.1 and ex Buddie Trevor Carson know what they thought of his summer switch by booing him every time he touched the ball.
The visitors began bossing the midfield with lots of nice passing and possession, but they didn’t look like troubling the Dundee backline.
But it was the home side who had the next chance. Lyall Cameron made a decent run forward and found Luke McCowan but his tame effort trickled into Saints keeper Hemming’s hands.
And there was drama in first half injury time when Owen Beck whopped in a corner, it was headed on by Antonio Portales but it struck Saints skipper Marcus Fraser on the arm.
Ref Matthew MacDermid, who was excellently positioned, paused for a split second then pointed to the spot.
And Rudden was the calmest man in the ground as he coolly sent Hemming the wrong way from the spot to double Dundee’s lead.
Saints boss Stephen Robinson was clearly furious and made FOUR changes at the break.
Richard Taylor, Conor McMenamin, Mikael Mandron and Greg Kiltie were all replaced by Charles Dunne, Lewis Jamieson, Olutoysi Olusanya and Alex Greive as the Buddies desperately tried to get back into the match.
But the drastic changes didn’t help as Dundee grabbed their third on 57 minutes.
Bakayoko found space in the middle of the park and charged forward before finding Rudden on the right who ran in on goal, his effort was saved by Hemming but the ball fell to Bakayoko who didn’t give up and slotted the rebound into the back of the net.
Saints threw on Thierry Small for Boyd-Munce on 70 minutes and on loan Southampton kid whacked the bar within seconds of coming on – it summed up St Mirren’s awful away day.
Bakayoko was desperate to get a hat-trick and saw his header from eight yards go wide from McCowan’s cross with 11 minutes left.
Zach Robinson, who had just replaced Rudden, made it four with five minutes let when he slotted home after a lovely cross from McCowan.
It rounded off a super victory and performance for the home side – and gave the Buddies plenty to think about on their journey back to Paisley.
Elsewhere in the top flight Graham Carey scored an emotional winner to lift St Johnstone off the bottom.
Nick Montgomery registered his second win as Hibs boss with Josh Campbell's first half effort enough to see off Kilmarnock.
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Meanwhile Hearts eased the pressure on Steven Naismith and heaped more onto Stuart Kettlewell with a 2-1 win at Fir Park.
Lawrence Shankland hit a double but Blair Spittal pulled one back for the Steelmen from the penalty spot.
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