MARK OF RESPECT FOR BOSS

MARK O’HARA was blown away by manager Neil McCann’s commitment to the cause when he took charge of Dundee on the day his dad died.

Now the Dens defender and his team-mates are determined to show him the same dedication when they go toe to toe with the best team in the country.

And if that earns them something to dedicate he can think of no more poignant gesture to give their gaffer.

Celtic travel to Tayside today for a Boxing Day scrap and O’Hara knows they are in for a tough test that will ask tough questions of their skill and character.

But having seen their boss lead by example last Saturday – stepping into the dugout for their 1-1 draw with Motherwell just hours after the passing of his dad Eddie – O’Hara believes total commitment is the least they owe him.

He said: “It shows how strong he is that he was at the game. We wanted to get the win for him and his dad but weren’t able to do it.

“He’s been brilliant. It would be good to get a big result against Celtic for him and his family. It would mean a lot to us and we’d love to repay him.”

O’Hara was crestfallen after conceding the penalty that let Motherwell bag a point but he had no gripes about the decision to penalise him for a foul on Cedric Kipre and reckons the stack of chances his side went on to create – including hitting the post twice – means they should’ve won.

He added: “I should have headed it. He came in from the side and it was a penalty.

“It was stupid from me but the boys have been good and told me to keep my head up. I was pretty down after it.

“We deserved to win. We created enough chances.

“Recently our results have picked up. We were playing well at the start of the season but not picking up as many points as we deserved.

“That was another encouraging performance so we’ll look to take the positives into the Celtic game. It’s Boxing Day, live on TV and a great chance to show what we’re capable of.

“We’ve got to be brave. Playing out from the back has worked for us and we’ll look to do that again.

“Beating Rangers gives us confidence. It showed we can do it on the big stage.”

The 22-year-old former Kilmarnock kid is hopeful of securing his future at Dens Park and added: “I’m happy where I am and talks have started so hopefully it will be resolved soon.”