Striker targeting one more victory

DUNDEE: Moussa believes Fir Park win would seal Dark Blues’ top flight place

If Dundee beat Motherwell next Saturday, it might not mathematically guarantee their toptier safety, but Sofien Moussa believes victory at Fir Park will mean it is all but signed, sealed and delivered.

The big Tunisian striker was the Dark Blues’ two-goal hero at Dens on Saturday against St Johnstone, with his dramatic late second counter securing a vital three points.

With four games of the season remaining, Dundee are not out of the woods yet but Moussa has been down this road before and knows another win over the Steelmen could be enough.

The 30-year-old said: “I have been in this situation many times.

“Every year, I am not lucky so I know what we need to do.

“We will enjoy today but come Monday we need to work hard again.

“The next game will be very hard but if we win, I promise you we will be safe. Maybe not mathematically but…

“So we have to prepare well and secure our place as early as possible.

“Our place is not here – I repeat, our place is not here.

“For me only Celtic are at another level and maybe Rangers but the rest are the same as us. But we have to be mentally ready for the game.”

The build-up to Saturday’s match had been overshadowed by the lingering hangover from the last time the sides met at the same venue in March. However, Dundee boss Neil McCann, who watched the game from the stands as he served his one-match suspension, preferred to focus on the importance of the win rather than on his opposite number Tommy Wright. He said: “It’s irrelevant what happened before. “We have beaten St Johnstone three times now this season and this one is the most important one because it’s in the split. It’s a huge three points for us and it lets us build on it.”

DUNDEE 2 ST JOHNSTONE 1

He was the two-goal hero in the eyes of the Dundee fans on Saturday but modest Sofien Moussa insists he was just doing his job as he helped his side clinch a precious victory.

The big Tunisian striker struck with just seconds on the clock and then headed home what proved to be the winner in the 88th minute.

The three points edged Dundee closer to ensuring their Premiership safety with Moussa admitting the Saints game had been in the must-win category.

He said: “Today I am the fans’ hero and tomorrow I am not.

“I have been around for 30 years and I know it is the same everywhere – if you score you are a hero and if you don’t then you are zero.

“I like my job. I hope I can be a hero for the rest of the season but I don’t like this word hero.

“I am a professional and I know my job and I work hard.

“It is not easy because this is my first season here and it is a different culture and football. I need a little time.

“I have a good relationship with everybody.

“I respect what people say, good or bad, but I don’t care because I will continue to work.”

Moussa added: “We knew we had to win this game because our situation is a little difficult. “We needed to win that first game. “The last time we played St Johnstone we didn’t have a good game. It was great we won today. It was a good motivation.”

While Moussa is fully focused on ensuring Dundee are safe sooner rather than later, he also admitted he has not given up on his dream of representing his country at this summer’s World Cup.

The striker added: “My national team has many really good players.

“There is one striker who plays in Belgium and has scored 19 goals now but he can’t get in the national team.

“Everybody would like to go to the World Cup so I just have to keep working and maybe it will happen.

“To be honest, they speak about me in my country but I need to prove I can score as we have many good players.

“I still have hope, of course. I need to stay positive, work hard and keep scoring.”

The game was just seconds old when Moussa netted the opener. A Kevin Holt free-kick was volleyed by Mark O’Hara with Moussa applying the final touch with the help of a post.

Dundee failed to fully capitalise on that great start with Saints having the better of the rest of the half with chances for Steven Anderson, Chris Millar and Matty Willock although the Dark Blues came close to making it two in the 44th minute when Simon Murray shot just inches past Zander Clark’s post.

The Perth side then hit the woodwork in the 64th minute as skipper Joe Shaughnessy smashed a superb acrobatic volley off the Dundee crossbar.

It looked like Saints had secured a point in the 85th minute when Steven MacLean clinically equalised with a low shot past home keeper Elliott Parish.

However, just three minutes later, Cammy Kerr fired a deep free-kick high into the Saints box and Moussa sent a towering header past Clark for a sensational winner.

St Johnstone midfielder Chris Millar admitted that he was certain MacLean’s goal had secured a share of the points for his side.

He said: “I thought we deserved a draw. We dominated the game and the gaffer’s absolutely raging, as are the players, because it’s two stupid freekicks that we give away and we don’t defend the cross balls.

“When we got back in the game I thought Dundee looked as though they were done.

“We deserved something out of the game but if you don’t do your jobs up until the last minute then you’ll get punished.”