Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Byrne feels Dee for the better in
DUNDEE are a different animal now after being “kicked from pillar to post” this season, according to midfield lynchpin Shaun Byrne.
The Dark Blues are currently enjoying their best run of the campaign, with six games unbeaten having won their last three – the latest an impressive 3-1 victory over league leaders Hearts.
In fact, picking up 14 points from a possible 18 since the start of December is better form than Dundee have shown in Byrne’s time at the club.
The history books have to be turned back all the way to 2016 to see a longer string of positive results, when Kane Hemmings and Greg Stewart were firing in goals during an eight-match unbeaten streak.
For Byrne, the display against the heavy favourites for the Championship title this term was one of the most enjoyable since he arrived at Dens.
Now he’s determined to keep the good times coming.
He said: “It’s definitely up there with the best team performances since I came here.
“We had a couple last year where we were good in spells but this is the first time since I’ve been here we’ve put a right good run together.
“Last year we’d go two or three games. This is the first time we’ve kicked on a good bit and we are starting to show that we are a really good team.
“This team has been kicked from pillar to post at times as well so it’s good we are starting to get the rewards now.
“We’re six unbeaten and the players are really confident, we are enjoying how we are playing and there is a real togetherness between the players and staff.
“Something feels different, I’m not sure what it is.
“Maybe after that Ayr game (where they lost 2-0) we got the reality check we needed and since then we’ve been a different team.
“A lot was said from the manager, the players stepped up and said stuff.
“Even though we were beaten by Hibs the week after, it was a positive performance and since then we’ve kicked on.
“There is a fighting spirit here.
Everybody is together and that is starting to show.
“We are really confident but will take things a game at a time and try to keep building the momentum.
“We’ll see where that takes us at the end of the season.”
That fighting spirit was embodied by Byrne in the opening minutes against the Jambos as he fired his team up with a full-blooded tackle on Hearts forward Steven Naismith.
The Jambos wanted a red card for the challenge, which instead drew a yellow – and there’s no doubt it set the tone for Dundee to take the game to their opponents.
In doing so, Dundee gained