The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Relief as Dark Blues pick up first win
Midfielder Lewis Spence looks to climb table after long-awaited victory
HAMILTON ACCIES 0 DUNDEE 2
Paul Mcgowan’s industrial language summed up the mood in the Dundee dressing room after yet another defeat a week ago.
There was no need for a swear box when Lewis Spence did his best to explain the emotion of getting your first win in the Premiership seven days later.
Relief was written all over the players’ faces at full-time at Hamilton and relief ran through the young midfielder’s postmatch assessment like letters through a stick of Blackpool rock.
“It was more relief than anything after seven defeats in a row,” said Spence.
“We’ve been unlucky in a few. We didn’t deserve anything last week or in the Motherwell game but, other games, we’ve been unlucky. So it’s just relief.
“There’s no worse feeling than being beaten every week.
“You just feel like a pure loser. So there’s relief and pride that we’ve got the win. I’m so proud of the boys.”
Spence said all the talk of a united dressing room when they were winless and pointless pre-hamilton wasn’t for effect.
“It’s been obviously a really bad start to the season for us, seven straight defeats,” he said.
“But it doesn’t feel like that for us, because our changing room has been buzzing every week.
“I know that’s hard to believe but it’s not been doom and gloom. We’ve really come together over the last month or so. So we deserve this.
“When you train all week and still get pumped 3-0, it’s murder.
“You just think ‘we’ve done all that training for nothing’.
“But we’ve stuck together and I think we showed that.
“Everyone has been joking and having a laugh – but putting in so much hard work.
“That showed at the end, everybody getting together. Even the subs who didn’t come on were all on the park at full-time.
“We want to continue that. We don’t want to be down the bottom. Getting that first win gives us a chance to push on.”
Dundee controlled most of the first half and went into the break 1-0 up through an Andy Boyle back-post header – the first time this season they have taken the lead in the league.
It got a bit fraught in the second 45, with the woodwork twice coming to their rescue and Hamilton messing up a couple of glorious chances.
It was not until the fourth and last minute of stoppage time that Dundee knew it was job done when Kharl Madianga finished off a counter attack.
“Even Accies hitting the bar and things like that, we really do deserve that bit of luck,” Spence said.
“It’s just great to get the first win. But it has to be the first of many. We have to kick on.
“We do believe we can do well in this league. It’s still early enough. But it’s just great to get that first win.
“We showed the other side of the game, the dirty side of the game, against Accies.
“Hamilton are probably one of the best in the league when it comes to that dirty side of the game.
“But we over-matched them and deserved the win.”
Given the pressure on the team and their manager, the strong wind and the plastic pitch, many would have though a direct style of play was required but that did not happen.
“Just because we’re bottom of the league, that doesn’t mean we’re going to lump it long and just hope to get something,” Spence said.
“The gaffer wants us to keep playing. We went to Hamilton with an idea to move the ball on a good surface, suck them in.
“If you look at our midfield, we’ve got good ball players in there. What’s the point in punting it long and missing them out?
“Our strength is to take the ball in there under pressure. We’ll stick to that.
“I know the fans have sometimes been frustrated when we’ve been losing and we’re still keeping the ball at the back. Obviously they get a bit nervous.
“But they just need to believe in us, because that’s how we’re going to play.
“It worked against Accies. And, of course, the second half maybe wasn’t so pretty. But that was nerves kicking in.”
Boss Neil Mccann said: “I hope this is a turning point and I believe we can carry on from here.
“We have a tough game next weekend against Kilmarnock but I told them to enjoy the weekend because it has been a long time coming.
“The coming weeks will tell us how high the confidence will soar.”