That was quickly added to seven minutes later by a Laurie Ellis header as the Kirkcaldy side took control.
Tade was tireless and now the man who sent Aberdeen tumbling out in the previous round is focussing on Hampden.
"I came to this country four years ago and if someone had told me I would be playing in a Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden I would have said, 'you're lying,' so, so far so good," he told BBC Scotland.
"To beat Aberdeen 1-0 was great and now going to Dens Park and beating the team that are top of our league is a feeling I cannot explain at the moment.
"I don't think I realise yet that I'm going to play at Hampden in front of thousands of people.
"It's just a great feeling."
The win sealed Rovers' first Scottish Cup semi-final berth in 47 years and Tade is now desperate to go one further.
"I've played there (at Hampden) before against Queen's Park but there were only about 100 people there so it's another story for me," the Frenchman said.
"For me it's something I will always remember.
"I am going back to France in the summer and what a great story I'm going to be able to tell and I think I'll be telling it every day.
"So, who knows? If we can get a team we can beat it is a 50/50 then why can we not reach the final?
Graham Weir challenges Eddie Malone for the ball at Dens"We don't care who we get now. We will play with the same heart, same attitude. It's a dream so let's dream."
Tade's team-mate Graham Weir was another who produced an energy-sapping performance and was only denied a goal by a dubious offside decision.
And with manager John McGlynn stating last week that a semi-final spot may even clear the club's debt, the former Hearts and Queen of the South forward knows of the all-round importance of the victory on Tayside - not to mention for the 3,000 fans who crossed the Tay for the match.
"The result's massive for the club financially and you could see what it meant to the fans with their reaction at the end," Weir said.
"The fans were brilliant - they're always brilliant and they were buzzing the whole game.
"I don't really care who we get in the semis to be honest but we know we're 90 minutes away from a cup final."
The way this Fife-like cup fairytale is playing out, the 1994 Stark's Park League Cup winners may yet be forced into the shadow of McGlynn's unheralded side.
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport