Buenos dias, Dundee. Or, as Alex Smith might say after United's failings were broadcast to a South American audience, Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Satellite giant ESPN paid homage to the Dundee derby for the first time on Saturday, with Claudio Caniggia producing his expected goal and United presenting predictably lamentable opposition. Smith, as is his wont, claimed his team had been 'mugged' with Caniggia and Giorgi Nemsadze scoring the decisive goals against the run of play. But the Tannadice excuses were as thin as the strands of blond hair which flapped in Caniggia's wake as he celebrated a 2-0 win which extended United's losing sequence to nine games. The former World Cup striker later complained his mobile phone couldn't receive a signal in Dundee. Maybe just as well, or United's downtrodden supporters would have dialled 'M' for murder. As it was, they chanted - in a half-hearted manner befitting their team's display - for the removal of Smith, caring not whether it was chairman Doug or manager Alex who left.

All in all then, it was must- see TV for the vast ESPN audience with Derek Rae - remember him? - rediscovering his Scots roots from the commentary box. Ironically, the other Argentinian striker on show, United ' s Beto Naveda, started brightest of the two, before Caniggia opened the scoring for Dundee in 38 minutes. Naveda, making his home debut at a ground where United are without a league win since last December, tried his best to upstage his illustrious compatriot. He had no number on the back of his shirt, perhaps a legacy of being the third player to wear the No9 jersey in this most ridiculous of seasons for the SPL's basement club. If the Naveda strip was bare, however, it only exemplified the arid spell from which his team seems unable to emerge. Apart from two shots from Charlie Miller, both tipped over by keeper Marco Roccati, the hosts presented little danger from a surfeit of possession. Naveda occasionally drifted over to the right flank, where he was met by Marcello Marrocco in a contest which featured more spare hair than Stewart Milne's bottom drawer. Caniggia, too, is a devotee of the tousled look. But nothing obscured his vision as he exhibited a predator's instinct to beat Alan Combe from ten yards.

Dundee captain Barry Smith, the game's most accomplished performer, began the move with a hopeful punt from his right-back position. United's stand-in sweeper, Jamie Buchan, was uncharacteristic in his misjudgment of the ball's trajectory, and could only chest it weakly towards Willie Falconer. Falconer was alert in his appreciation of Caniggia's darting run and, once the Argentinian had collected the reverse pass, he dispatched it with aplomb behind Combe. United - with Miller looking every inch like Diego Maradona, at least round his middle - forced Dundee back towards Roccati's goal either side of the break. They craved an equaliser to reduce the eight-point deficit at the foot of the table, hoping ESPN would translate to Every Single Point Needed. Too often, though, Mvondo Atangana strayed into offside positions or the final pass went awry. The suspicion lingered all the while that Dundee would strike again. Few, however, could have predicted the exquisite nature of the goal which settled the contest in 73 minutes, Nemsadze's first for the club. Smith once more initiated the move on the Dundee right with Caniggia, of course, playing his token part with a delicate reverse pass into the Georgian midfielder's path.

Nemsadze strode into the United area and, with Combe hastily narrowing the angles, chose to chip the ball over the keeper and under the bar. 'I feel I have scored better goals than this,' said Nemsadze. 'But I am very happy because it is my first goal for Dundee and it has come in a derby. 'As I turned towards goal, I was at an angle and the keeper was shutting down the goal completely. My only option was to put it over him. 'I only believed it had gone in when I saw it in the back of the net. Caniggia's goal at Aberdeen was a special one for him, and this one was just as special for me.' Dundee's fans certainly greeted it with the same delight, lapping up victory in the knowledge that it could be their last trip to Tannadice for some time. With Ivano Bonetti's side chasing a place in the top six and United, perhaps, destined for the First Division, the January derby at Dens will take on an added edge. 'There is no need to panic just now, ' said United's stand- in captain David Hannah. 'We still have 23 games to play and, if we are still in the same predicament with ten games to go, it is then time to panic. 'There is nothing, outwith Celtic and Rangers. ©Soccernet