IN a city with two football teams, especially one in which the clubs live on the same street, bragging rights are more than a little important.

And while Dundee are in the Premiership and Dundee United remain a Championship side, it was the men from down the road who won at Dens Park courtesy of a penalty shoot-out. It meant they topped Group C, were seeded for the last 16 of the Betfred Cup and got drawn against … Dundee at Dens Park.

Both sides could have won it in the 90 minutes but after a 1-1 it went to penalties. Faisal El Bakhtaoui missed the first one for Dundee, Roarie Deacon the fifth, which meant United won 4-3 from spot-kicks.

“I thought we played some really good football,” said United manager Ray McKinnon. “We were without a recognised striker as well. Overall it was a good performance and we won the group, and we get to do it all over again.

“We’ve got our recruitment right and are heading in the right direction. I’m trying to bring in a midfielder and if we can do that we have a chance this season. I can take confidence from this because Dundee are a good Premiership team. We’ve brought in nine players and a lot of them are young. We also have injuries and when we get everyone back we will be a really good side.”

Nothing much happened for a while until a rainfall of Biblical proportions came midway through the first half and then as we neared the half hour this match came to life.

The impressive Scott Allan began a Dundee move with a disguised reverse pass to Paul McGowan. He played the ball back to Kevin Holt whose cross was met by Mark O’Hara who gave United goalkeeper Harry Lewis something to do.

United then enjoyed a good spell and came close to scoring on 32 minutes. A lovely one-two between Scott Fraser and Billy King allowed the latter a shot on target and the ball came back off the woodwork with some force.

And then on the stroke of half-time, the city turned tangerine.

A feather of a touch by Fraser allowed Sam Staunton a run into the box. His clever cross on the slide skidded across goal and with Bain desperately trying to get to the ball, McMullan got there first to put United ahead.

United almost doubled their lead on 53 minutes but King got his shot all wrong inside the box and then at the other end a shot by Allan was going wide until Sofien Moussa stuck his head on the ball for what he believed was an equaliser, but he was clearly offside.

A goal from the home side was, however, only moments away.

It came as no surprise Allan was involved, This time his intelligent pass picked out O’Hara whose left foot shot zipped off the wet surface and in the net.

Deacon, who had a good game despite his penalty miss, should have sealed the win in injury-time for Dundee when he was clean through on Lewis but couldn’t lift the ball over United’s keeper. And then from a Holt free-kick, Jack Hendry hit the United post.

“The dressing room was really quiet and I told the players I wanted another crack at them,” said McCann. “We got one and that’s why a cheer went up. It is a fantastic game to be involved in.

“I thought this was a great advert for Scottish football.

Two sides were going at it hammer and tongs, there was colour at atmosphere. This derby has been sorely missed. I take no satisfaction in United being in the Championship.

“It’s sore that we didn’t win on penalties but I think we deserved to win the game overall.”