Keeper desperate to end losing feeling

Players determined to get that crucial win to make loyal supporters happy

Jack Hamilton insists the Dundee players are just desperate to ditch the losing habit for the sake of themselves and the club’s faithful fans.

The Dark Blues are having a miserable season so far and the bottom-of-the-table side had lost their previous four games in a row before Saturday’s trip to Motherwell.

Despite that, more than 400 fans made the journey to Fir Park to back their team in their hour of need.

As the clock ticked down, they would have been hoping Jim McIntyre’s team could hold on to at least take a point but Dundee’s resistance was finally broken with a goal right out of the top drawer in the 69th minute by David Turnbull.

Now keeper Hamilton is hoping the players can finally repay the fans when they play St Mirren at Dens on Saturday in a game with so much at stake for both sides.

He said: “It was obviously disappointing to lose. Everybody is desperate to impress the manager and get that result especially for the fans as they are turning out in their numbers for away games and did so again today.

“We just want to get that result for them as well as for the dressing room.

“I think once we can get that, we can kick on from there.

“The fans are brilliant all the time both at home and travelling in their numbers to away games.

“It is disappointing for them and it is disappointing for us.

“We want to get that result and once it comes, we know they will get right behind us and we will kick on from there.”

Hamilton added: “It is a difficult time but we just need to get everybody together.

“We have a good dressing room with a great bunch of lads.

“The new manager has come in and has been very good.

“So it is just about digging it out a week at a time trying to get the points on the board.”

McIntyre made three changes to the team that was beaten 5-0 by Celtic last week with Andy Boyle, Calvin Miller and Sofien Moussa coming into the starting line-up for the injured Benjamin Kallman with Roarie Deacon and Ryan Inniss dropping to the bench.

New signing, midfielder Martin Woods, was also named as a sub.

The Dark Blues came agonisingly close to opening the scoring in the 11th minute when Miller swung in a corner from the left and Darren O’Dea rose highest but his header cannoned off the bar and Motherwell cleared.

Dundee then had two big penalty shouts when first Jesse Curran and then Kenny Miller went down in the home box but on both occasions referee Don Robertson waved away appeals.

Motherwell came close deep into firsthalf stoppage time when Carl McHugh sent a low, long-range shot just wide of Hamilton’s left-hand post.

The Steelmen had another great chance just three minutes after the restart when Curtis Main hit an angled drive and Boyle had to make a vital goalline stop for Dundee before Hamilton pounced to completely snuff out the danger.

The home side were making a much better fist of things and as the hour mark approached they were turning the screw, with Ryan Bowman flashing a header just inches wide of the post.

In the 65th minute, Dundee were claiming once more for a penalty when Moussa went down in the Motherwell box but again ref Robertson was not interested.

Bowman then had a superb opportunity when he was played in on goal but he shot too close to Hamilton who made a comfortable save.

However, the keeper had no chance as the Steelmen scored what proved to be the winner in the 69th minute. Turnbull hit an unstoppable shot from more than 25 yards high past Hamilton and into the back of the net.

The goalie admitted he could do little at the wonder goal but he is confident that Dundee’s luck will turn soon.

He said: “It was a great strike. He had time in the middle of the park and these things happen when you are down at the bottom of the table.

“Things tend to not go your way but it will turn eventually.

“Obviously as a goalkeeper and as defenders, we are desperate to keep clean sheets.

“At the time just now when you are not scoring goals and you are conceding as well, it is hard.

“Once that one goes in you are thinking, it is backs to the wall a bit.

“But we have good forward boys as well so we just need to grind it out and it will come.”

Pictures: SNS. Above: Dundee’s Jack Hamilton rises high to punch clear a cross from the Dundee box. Left: Motherwell’s Curtis Main holds of Dundee’s Lewis Spence and Andy Boyle.