Wighton: We can use loss to spur us on

CRAIG Wighton says Dundee can use Saturday’s defeat at home to St Mirren as a kick up the backside for their return to league action on Friday night.

The Dark Blues had gone into the winter break in fine fettle after a 3-0 thumping of St Johnstone on Hogmanay, extending their good run of home league form.

That home form deserted them on Saturday, however, as they crashed to a 2-0 defeat to the Buddies in the Scottish Cup.

And Wighton readily admits there’s nobody to blame but themselves ahead of the trip to Pittodrie and that they need to use the weekend’s disappointment to spur them to a positive display.

“It should, that’s the way we need to take these games,” said the young Dundee striker.

“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves because we’re the only ones to blame, nobody else.

“It’s the players on the pitch that didn’t perform so it’s our fault.

“We’re looking to go up to Aberdeen and play well, as well as getting something, so it’s up to us.

“We need to get the heads down now and, hopefully, that gives us the wee lift we need to go to Aberdeen and get a positive result.

“It’s a tough place to go. Aberdeen are a great side, especially at home but we’ve played them, we know what they are all about.

“I’m sure the manager will have a gameplan and we’ll need to work hard in training this week.

“I think we’ve got enough ability in the squad, we just need to perform a lot better than we did on Saturday or we’ll get punished in our own league, definitely.”

And punished they were at the weekend after spurning chances in the first half, as John Sutton gave St Mirren the lead on 25 minutes before Jack Baird doubled the advantage after the break.

After the second goal went in, the home side barely laid a glove on the Championship strugglers and, for Wighton, that’s not good enough.

He added: “I think first half before