Much like England under Steve McClaren, the University of Edinburgh managed to excel in a match which offered little in terms of pressure, reward or meaning. Having been cruelly dispatched by Cove Rangers the previous Saturday, with an attendant fine of up to £1200 for indiscipline, Edinburgh responded with a fine display of fluent attacking football against a Dundee side devoid of defensive organisation and tactical coherence. The scoreline may have been conclusive- and deservedly so- but this win will have only underlined what the University will be missing from their exit from the Cup, namely a sense of occasion and a raison d'etre for a season that now promises merely the routine.

The match itself was over as a contest by the 5th minute. Edinburgh's high tempo start, a stark contrast to the dogged defensive tactics adopted in Aberdeen, proved too much for a Dundee defence unsure how to cope with the strength of Beck-Friis, the pace of Hazeldine and the probing runs down the right from Beesley. By the end of the first minute the University was ahead, a corner from Beesley emphatically headed home by the unmarked Munro. This lead was extended three minutes later as Fusco stepped up 25 yards out and struck an unstoppable free kick into the top left corner of the Dundee goal. The subdued celebrations, however, betrayed a due sense of anticlimax, an atmosphere compounded by the lack of a substantial challenge from Dundee.

Throughout the first half Edinburgh attacked at will. With a lack of protection from their midfield counterparts, the Dundee full backs were repeatedly exposed to the marauding runs of Beesley and Maxwell, often supplemented by the indefatigable Cook and Munro. From such space on the right came Edinburgh's sublime third. Fusco's free kick from the halfway line was delivered straight to the feet of Munro whose first time volley was smashed home on the full by Beesley from near the penalty spot. By this stage Dundee's fragile tactical cohesion was already disintegrating and although they offered occasional reminders of their attacking threat, they were simply outclassed.

The main thrust of Dundee's attacks came down the right-hand channel through the skillful Jamie Riley. His superb individual goal just before halftime - skipping inside Cook before curling an exquisite left foot shot past Carro in the Edinburgh goal - was one such highlight. However his endeavor was not matched by his team mates. Within a minute Edinburgh had scored a fourth after Maxwell combined with Hazeldine for the latter to finish with the outside of his foot.

The second half followed a similar pattern, Edinburgh's clinical offensive play registering a further three goals whilst Dundee toiled to create half chances with an increasing reliance on the inspiration of Riley on the right side of midfield. Dundee's defending of set pieces once again unraveled as Redman headed home another free kick delivered from the accurate right foot of Fusco. Then, with Hughes and Woods having replaced Hazeldine and Beck-Friis, the former combined with the help of Redman to release the other substitute, Jamie Hair, on the right. His low cross was turned in at the near post by Woods to heap misery on a rain soaked, goal drenched Dundee side.

Dundee continued to take shots from distance but failed to unlock the tight defensive shackles of Fusco and Thompson. By the time Riley struck again in the 90th minute, Edinburgh were seven goals to the good, Hughes capitalising on the inability of Dundee's rearguard to kick the ball clear to slide his finish under the advancing keeper.

A rout it was, but this victory was akin to losing your wallet only to go home and win monopoly. The real prize was lost last Saturday and, unfortunately, Wednesday's win failed to fully banish the memories of what might have been for this unequivocally talented University side.