Watch & listen : Dundee 2-0 St Johnstone
Dundee saw off their Tayside rivals to overtake them in the league table and move up to 5th place
Kane Hemmings struck twice for Dundee to sink struggling St Johnstone in the Ladbrokes Premiership.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hemmings hit the target in each half as Paul Hartley's side leapfrogged Tommy Wright's St Johnstone in the table with a 2-0 win.
Victory took them to fifth in the table.
Dundee threatened early on when Gary Harkins released Hemmings down the right and his cross was aimed for the unmarked Rory Loy who could not get his head to it.
Minutes later, Greg Stewart's ambitious left-footed shot from Hemmings' lay-off went wide when team-mate Paul McGinn was screaming for a simple pass.
It was all Dundee but the visitors managed their first foray forward after 12 minutes which almost brought them the lead on the counter-attack.
With the hosts pushing up, Saints broke swiftly with Danny Swanson releasing a pass to Darnell Fisher on the overlap but he shot over.
Dundee went ahead after 21 minutes. Nick Ross backheeled the ball into the path of Stewart and his left-footed drive was partially saved by Alan Mannus.
The rebound, though, fell to Hemmings and he knocked it home from close range for his 17th goal of the season.
Dundee remained on top at the start of the second half and were adapting to the tricky underfoot conditions much more convincingly than their opponents.
That was proved as the hosts went 2-0 ahead after 51 minutes. Harkins dispossessed former Dundee United midfielder Swanson just inside the Saints half.
Harkins played a pass through to the on-rushing Hemmings who did the rest in stunning style.
The 23-year-old raced through and on his left foot swept an unstoppable shot high past Mannus to gives his side some breathing space.
There seemed no way back for Saints who threw on Liam Craig for David Wotherspoon on the hour mark in a desperate bid to spark some sort of comeback.
But it was Dundee who hit the bar after 61 minutes through Stewart.
Harkins was enjoying one of those nights when he was running the show in midfield. He almost carved open the visiting defence with 20 minutes left, but substitute Craig foiled him a challenge on the edge of the penalty area.
Watch the goals :
Radio Tay Sports Editor Dave Galloway was at Dens Park. Hear his match report :
Dave also got the post match views of managers Paul Hartley and Tommy Wright :