Lee Mason came off the bench to score a late winner as Dundee slipped past an Edinburgh City side, who played out of their skins, by a 3-2 score-line at Meadowbank Stadium on Sunday afternoon WRITES NORRIE KERR..

Just two minutes were left when the striker secured SFA Scottish Youth Cup progress for the Dens under 19s with an outrageous lob.

The home side were quickly out of the blocks and came close with two long range shots which slipped wide early on, and it wasn't totally unexpected when they took the lead just before the quarter hour, a long ball down the left was picked up Wight who worked his way into the penalty area and fired an angled drive past Michael White.

Dundee pressed for an equaliser but weren't firing on all cylinders and had to be alert at the back against City's quick breaks, The Dark Blues did come close midway through the half but Scott Johnston was denied by Stirling in the home goal who twisted to his left to claw away the striker's effort on 23 minutes.

Seven minutes later Dundee were level with Jamie Garvock being the architect of the equaliser, he sprinted onto a ball down the left, cut inside and slid a ball across for Craig Marshall to net from close range.

There were chances at both ends as the players battled in monsoon conditions with Ross Grant getting in a vital block as the ball pinballed around the Dundee area.

Just a minute before half time Dundee were ahead and again the lively Garvock was involved, his cross being turned home by top scorer Kevin Milne from six yards.

Taking the lead should have settled the Dens kids but the scores were level again just five minutes after the break, a corner from the right finding the head of City's Stenhouse who directed his effort downwards and into the net.

Two minutes later it was the woodwork to the rescue as Guthrie's superb free kick beat White only to drop down off the crossbar, Stefan Elvin scrambling the loose ball away for a corner.

After that chances were few and far between as the conditions took control, Dundee got the ball wide regularly but too often their crosses were easy meat for keeper Stirling.

It looked very much as if extra-time would be needed, but sub' Mason had other ideas and when the ball dropped to him 25 yards out he hooked it high towards the goal, Stirling got a hand to the ball as it dropped from the heavens, but could only slap it into the net much to the delight of the scorer and his team-mates.

It was cruel on a home keeper who had performed admirably until then, and on his team - who would have fully deserved an extra half hour to try to pull off a giant-killing. The Edinburgh side had only been put together at the start of the season, but that didn't show at all here as they matched their full time opponents every step of the way - In fact they were at least as impressive as any of the Under 19 sides Dundee have faced at Scottish League level thus far this season.

Lee Mason, though, has the knack of coming off the bench to score, and it's Dundee who'll look forward to the next round with relish after sneaking through a tricky tie.