Dee seal survival

PLAYERRATINGS Murray’s header secures ninth-placed league finish

PREMIERSHIP safety is 100% secured for Dundee after a testing and hard-fought victory in Dingwall over bottom side Ross County.

The Dark Blues had to deal with everything thrown at them by a desperate Staggies side staring the drop in the face.

And they did that, with a couple of hairy moments admittedly, but overall this was as strong a defensive display as Dundee have shown all season. One with plenty of heart and determination.

Central to that were towering displays from centre-backs Steven Caulker and Darren O’Dea with full-backs Cammy Kerr and Kevin Holt not far behind them.

In attack, their normal appetite for missing chances kept going for much of it but when you keep the opposition out at one end, you only need to put one away at the other.

Until this weekend, Dundee had managed five clean sheets in the league all season. That tally is now seven after two shut-outs that have secured their place in the top flight for next campaign.

The Dark Blues’ good form, too, has come at the time when they really needed it.

Back-to-back 1-0 victories has rocketed them away from the drop zone.

Now on 39 points and guaranteed a ninth-place finish whatever happens at the weekend, Neil McCann and his men have left the beleaguered bottom three behind them.

And that’s come thanks to a power of work from the entire team, on Saturday and last night.

In the Highlands, they had to see off an early onslaught from the Staggies as they burst out of the dressing-room and straight on to the attack.

Billy Mckay had the ball in the net within minutes of the game starting only to be flagged offside.

Dundee had started a bit slack and County were all over them, giving the Dark Blues absolutely no time at all to get the ball moving.

With survival on the line, it’s exactly what was expected from the home side but Dundee took their time to get to grips with the game.

Liam Fontaine probably should have given the home side the lead after 12 minutes. After leaving O’Dea in a heap from a corner, he somehow put wide from six yards when it looked a certain goal.

Slowly though, Dundee – and the excellent Glen Kamara in particular – got hold of the ball and started moving it through midfield.

Then, not long after the restart, they got their goal.

Randy Wolters sent a good ball in after a short corner and Simon Murray was there to head into the net – it didn’t look like he knew too much about it but the striker insisted after the game it was definitely meant.

Chances then came in at both ends, Murray had another, Davis Keillor-Dunn headed at goal, substitute Faissal El Bakhtaoui smashed just over before fellow-sub David N’Gog somehow missed just seconds after coming on.

Then came what looked a penalty for Michael Gardyne only for the Dundonian to get a yellow for diving as the game ebbed to a frantic finale.

Paul McGowan rattled the post with a superb effort before Murray was through only to be denied by a top save from Aaron McCarey.

Somehow, though, the ball only hit the net once throughout the 90 minutes despite plenty of chances at both ends.

That’s all Dundee needed, however, and that’s what takes them into Saturday with the job already done.