Dee boss hails ‘exciting’ team

DUNDEE manager Paul Hartley hailed his “exciting young team” after the fine 5-1 victory over Motherwell but insists the clash with Partick is an even bigger test.

The Dark Blues welcome Thistle to Dens Park tomorrow night on the back of two confidence-boosting wins over Rangers and the Steelmen.

And, f or Har tley, his players got the rewards for the hard work they put in by picking up six points from six.

“I know we have a good team here,” he said.

“We have an exciting young team and we try to play in the right manner but what we’ve found now is a shape and a consistency to their play.

“I’m really pleased for the players, they’ve put so much work into the last two games and their overall performance was great.

“All the focus and attention was on our overall performance and could we step up again?

“We managed to step up and put such a high level in.”

And that high l evel i s something the Dark Blues will have to maintain if they are to keep hold of their sixth-placed position in the table, with Partick just a point behind in seventh.

Hartley added: “There are three or four teams trying to get one spot, I think.

“Kilmarnock and Thistle had big results, so it makes tomorrow’s game an even bigger one now — it’s going to be tough.

“The two games we’ve had, Rangers and Motherwell, it was important we took maximum points just to give ourselves an opportunity.

“The overall displays in the last two games have been fantastic.”

Ye s t e rd ay, D u n d e e ’s Development side, including recent signing Marc Klok, were beaten 1-0 by Ross County.

Dundee manager Paul Hartley.