Adam: It’s all down to coach Rab
ADAM LEGZDINS says two special people helped him make a vital penalty save on Saturday – Dundee’s keeper coach Rab Geddes and partner Lilly.
Goalie guru Geddes had done his homework so when Arbroath’s Michael McKenna stepped up in the first half to take the spotkick, Legzdins had a good idea which way he’d send it.
Lilly had also done her bit by helping the 34-yearold keeper prepare properly by giving him a night off new baby duties.
It all paid dividends with Legzdins going on to keep a clean sheet – Dundee’s first since the last time they played Arbroath at Dens on December 5 – to help them secure a win and push back up into the play-off spots.
Legzdins, making his first appearance since picking up a calf injury in November, said: “Rab is the one who should be getting the credit at the penalty.
“He does all the research and the stats. We talk about it before games and it was up to me to execute all his hard work.”
The Arbroath win capped a memorable few weeks for Legzdins and his fiancee after the birth of their daughter Lilac.
The family have settled well in Scotland since he signed for Dundee in November after leaving Premier League Burnley.
Legzdins said: “We were due to get married last summer but had to cancel because of Covid.
“Our daughter was born
ARBROATH here in February which was great. My fiancee has been brilliant doing a lot of the hard work. I got a night off on Friday so I could be ready for the game.
“We are very happy here. Getting in the team is the icing on the cake, hopefully I can stay in the team.”
Legzdins, recalled at Jack Hamilton’s expense, made the first save of the match in the 14th minute, from a long-range McKenna shot.
He did even better in the 31st minute after Arbroath were awarded a penalty by Willie Collum when Jason Thomson went down under a challenge by on-loan Spurs teenager Malachi Fagan-Walcott.
McKenna was outfoxed by the keeper diving to his left to make a sharp block.
In the 55th minute Paul McMullan swung a cross in from the right to the back post with Danny Mullen sending a downward header past Arbroath goalie Derek Gaston.
The Dark Blues finally put the game to bed in the 83rd minute thanks to a Max Anderson shot.