Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
McDaid: Dundee after demolition
WINGER Declan McDaid says Dundee owe Hearts one after the 6-2 demolition dished out by the Jambos on the opening day of the season.
And the forward has promised Dees a far better showing from their team this time around.
The Championship leaders head to Dens Park tonight for a 7.20pm kick-off with a five-point lead at the top of the table.
The Dark Blues trail the Jambos by eight points themselves, having played a game more, and McDaid accepts they’ll have to win tonight to keep any hopes alive of catching Robbie Neilson’s side.
He said: “It is a game you want to win if you are going to push up the table. It will be tough but it is one we are going to try to win to get them back for that 6-2 game.
“We obviously want to try to win the league so this is a big one. If we want to do that we need to beat them on Saturday.
“That’s what we are aiming for, to get the win and keep trying to close the gap on Hearts.”
Dundee go into the contest on the back of two league victories and remain unbeaten in their last five matches.
Hearts, meanwhile, have won their last five Championship matches after losing to Dunfermline in November – the only league match they’ve not won this season.
McDaid added: “Both teams are in good form. They are flying and we have been doing well lately so it should be a good one and it is on telly as well.
“They gave us a really tough game at the start of the season so we want to get them back for that.
“I didn’t get on so it was a difficult watch.
“I wasn’t expecting what happened at all – I don’t think anybody was.
“So we definitely owe them one and we go into this game determined to get them back.”
McDaid, though, insists Dundee are a different team to the one that were beaten so comprehensively at Tynecastle.
“Yes, there is a better feel about the place, it is difficult to explain.,” he said.
“But it is different from the start of the season and we feel more confident going into games.
“We know we are playing well and we are getting the results to go with that. So there is a good feeling about the place.”
Asked if Hearts will see the real Dundee tonight, McDaid added: “I hope so but I don’t want to jinx it!
“We will just keep doing what we