Scorers: Kerr (43), McGowan (71) and McCowan (82)
Championship Dundee ran out comfortable winners as Stranraer’s search for a first point of the season goes on.
Gary Bowyer’s men struggled to find a breakthrough until shortly before half time but from then on the destination of the three points never looked in doubt.
Jamie Hamill freshened up the team that had lost 5-2 to Hamilton on Tuesday night with full debuts for George O’Connor and Dylan Forrest, while Craig Ross was handed a first start of the season.
That meant places on the bench for Scott Dunn, Anton Brady and Luke Scullion, with Sean McIntosh and Dean Hawkshaw both missing through injury.
Stranraer had conceded 10 goals in their opening two games and looked much more compact and harder to break down.
Up until the closing stages of the opening 45 minutes, the best either team could muster was headers off target.
Tyler French nodded wide for Dundee in the first 10 minutes and Ross could only flick the ball on at the other end.
However, Dundee began knocking at the door in the final few minutes of the half.
Stranraer failed to truly clear a Niall McGinn corner on the right and when the ball broke to Cammy Kerr on the edge of the box he met it with a first time volley.
Fortunately for the Blues, Paul Woods was on the line to head clear and the midfielder was in the right place again moments later.
Again, it was a set piece and this time captain Ryan Sweeney thought he had scored only for Woods to nod clear.
Stranraer could not keep it level until the half time interval though.
McGinn again floated in the corner and Kerr’s downwards header squirmed under the body of O’Connor.
Dundee had dominated the first half and it was very much one-way traffic again after the break.
Finlay Robertson had already blazed over the bar before Alex Jakubiak missed a glorious chance to double the lead.
McGinn and Paul McMullan had linked up well but Jakubiak somehow put the cut back wide of the post when he had plenty of time.
The second goal was coming though and it arrived on 71 minutes.
Sweeney again rose highest and his header back across goal was met by the unmarked Paul McGowan, who smashed the ball beyond O’Connor.
The game was wrapped up in the final 10 minutes through substitute Luke McCowan.
He collected the ball wide on the right before cutting in and curling an unstoppable effort beyond the goalkeeper.
Stranraer will get a better idea of where they are in terms of their League Two standing when they travel to Forfar on Tuesday night.
Stranraer: O’Connor, S Robertson, Ellis, Girvan, Ross, Hilton, Gallagher, Woods, Forrest (Brady 60), McLean (Walker 80), Watt.
Not used: Dunn, Duffy and Scullion.
Dundee: Sharp, Kerr, Marshall, French (Fisher 60), Sweeney (Mulligan 73), Jakubiak, Byrne (Williamson 60), McGowan, McGinn (McCowan 68), McMullan (Cameron 68), F Robertson.
Not used: Anderson, Strachan and Lawlor.
Referee: Greg Aitken
Attendance: 497
HT: 0-1
Photos: Bill McCandlish
