Feelgood factor a boost for Gardyne
For some, the close season lay-off can take away their edge but Michael Gardyne’s wellspent summer has brought instant rewards.
The ross County forward’s ability has never been in doubt since signing as a teenager for Celtic. What has perhaps prevented him from discovering his full potential has been the diligence to carry out the less glamorous side of the game.
But at Dens Park he combined both natural talent and sheer work-rate to considerable effect in helping Jim McIntyre’s side get their Premiership campaign off to a flier.
Although Celtic youngster Jamie Lindsay and Christopher routis took the plaudits for goals in either half to deny Dundee a winning start under Neil McCann in his first full season at the helm, Gardyne was principally the one orchestrating things and his overall performance prompted his manager to declare him ‘unplayable’.
‘I am just looking after myself,’ said Gardyne. ‘I’m 31 now and I feel better than ever.
‘You get looked after at the club and the sports science has also been good.
‘I have also taken up yoga and these are all things that will help me to prolong my career. Marcus Fraser, Tim Chow, ryan Dow and myself are doing early-morning yoga classes.
‘I’m feeling the benefits. I’ve had a good pre-season and here I feel I played well.’
This was a rare achievement for County who hadn’t experienced the feeling of winning an opening-day fixture in seven years, and it was done so even without the services of prolific striker Liam Boyce who departed Dingwall earlier in the summer for English outfit Burton Albion.
Despite narrowly missing out on the top six last season, the Highlanders carried on from where they left off and stretched their unbeaten run to 13 games.
Nobody in their camp is going to get carried away with early-season optimism, but the feeling already is that they can improve on their last campaign.
‘Definitely, we previously made the top six and won the League Cup two years ago,’ said Gardyne. ‘You always strive to do better.
‘Last season we just missed out and this season we want to be as high as we can.
‘Everyone will think five places have already been picked with five big clubs but hopefully we will be fighting for sixth.
‘It is one of those leagues where anybody can beat anybody.’
For Dundee, this display mirrored much of last season, which prompted McCann’s arrival towards the end of a torturous campaign as interim manager to help hoist them clear of the perilous play-offs.
It remains six months since Dundee last won on home soil — beating rangers 2-1 in February — and the same defensive frailties on show last year came back to haunt them here as routis rose unchallenged to head the clincher in 61 minutes, after Lindsay’s fine 35th-minute strike had put the visitors ahead.
At least, though, they have an opportunity to make immediate amends, with their midweek derby against city rivals Dundee United in the last 16 of the Betfred Cup fast approaching
Midfielder Mark o’Hara believes they have a duty of payback to their fans who had precious little to get excited about until towards the end when substitute Jack Hendry netted a consolation header.
‘We definitely owe the fans one in the derby, as we have let everyone down,’ he admitted. ‘It is not a great start at all. We will try to put it right on Wednesday night.’ DUNDEE (4-2-3-1): Bain 6; Kerr 7, Waddell 6 (Hendry 45), O’Dea 6, Holt; Kamara 7, Allan 6; Deacon 6, Wolters (McGowan 67), O’Hara 6; Moussa 6 (El Bakhtaoui 51). Subs not used: Parish, Vincent, Williams, Spence. Booked: Holt. ROSS COUNTY (4-4-2): Fox 6; Fraser 6, Kelly 6, Davies 6, Naismith 5; Gardyne 8 (Tumilty 82), Routis 7 (Van der Weg 73), Lindsay 7, Chow 6; Dow 6, Schalk 6 (Mikkelsen 75). Subs not used: McCarey, Keillor-Dunn, Dingwall, Malcolm. Booked: Chow, Gardyne. Referee: Willie Collum. Attendance: 5,032. Man of the match: Michael Gardyne.