Paulwants moreHart for visit of Rangers

DUNDEE boss Paul Hartley last night challenged his players to step up to the mark against managerless Rangers this weekend.

The Dark Blues gaffer was critical of his side in the wake of last weekend’s flat 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock at Dens Park.

Now the Taysiders have a chance to make amends with the visit of the crisis-hit Light Blues – who will be led out by head development squad coach Graeme Murty – to Tayside on Sunday and their manager is demanding they rise to the occasion.

Hartley said: “I just wasn’t happy with certain things about our play.

“The basic thing was keeping the ball better in possession than we did.

“If you don’t keep the ball then you don’t give yourself an opportunity.

“That was the most disappointing thing for me.

“I had no complaints about the players’ attitude.

“It was about keeping the ball and that’s something we have worked on this week in training.

“This is a game where we have to try to turn the screw a little bit, be on the front foot and be really positive.

“The players need to step up to the plate now and perform.

“We are in a situation where we are not far off the top six but not far off the teams below us.

“Every point is vital for us before the split. I don’t see the table changing too much between now and then.

“In the past, teams have become detached but it’s not looking like that this year.

“We are all jostling – trying to avoid being in the bottom half. It’s so tight.”

Meanwhile, Dundee are sweating over the fitness of a few key players for the visit of the Gers.

Hartley said; “We have a few of players we are waiting on just now – Henrik Ojamaa, Julen Etxabeguren and Kosta Gadzhalov.

“Julen has an Achilles injury and that’s why he missed out last weekend .

“We will assess them all over the next couple of days.

“We will then try to pick a team that can win the game for us.”