‘Dropping Jack a tough call – he’s not done a lot wrong’

JAMES McPake admits dropping Jack Hamilton on Saturday was a difficult decision as the keeper has done little wrong between the sticks.

However, the manager felt a change had to be made for the Arbroath match with the Dark Blues having failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous 12 games.

The move paid off with Dundee winning 2-0 against the Red Lichties and Hamilton’s replacement Adam Legzdins saving a Michael McKenna penalty.

McPake revealed he was going to make a further change in defence before he was forced to draft Malachi Fagan-Walcott into his back four following an injury to Liam Fontaine.

McPake said: “It was a tough call with Jack as I wouldn’t say his form has been bad.

“We hadn’t been keeping enough clean sheets which isn’t just down to Jack.

“There was going to be another change in the back four.

“It looks enforced because of the injury but there was going to be a change.

“I am not going to say if it was Liam Fontaine for Malachi or Lee Ashcroft for Malachi.

“But there was going to be a change in the back four as well but it ended up being an enforced one.

“It comes across as looking like you have only taken your goalkeeper out but we needed to find a way to keep clean sheets.

“I am not saying we have found it as it is only one but we need to keep more and I thought Adam did very well.

“Jack hasn’t done a lot wrong which sounds bad and I will annoy him saying that.

“But sometimes you have to make changes and I believe it was the right time to get Adam in the team.”

Fagan-Walcott had to come off injured in the second half of Saturday’s match with a slight hamstring problem but McPake hopes the on-loan Spurs youngster will be available for the Ayr game tonight along with Fontaine (Achilles).

James McPake