The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Gritty and nasty approach works for Dee – Forster
DUNDEE: Dark Blues goal hero calls on team to scrap for points
Dundee defender Jordon Forster says the Dark Blues must continue to scrap for every point as they chase a play-off spot.
Forster’s winner against Queen of the South on Saturday gave James McPake’s side a vital victory in their pursuit of promotion from the Championship.
He said: “There’s been a real emphasis in the last few weeks to work smarter and work harder for each other as team-mates.
“Be a bit grittier and nastier and that’s showed on the pitch. I think we’re more difficult to beat and then played from there and that’s worked. Hopefully we keep doing the same thing.”
Forster, pictured, added: “We need to kick on as we’ve got a massive period coming up.”
Dundee match-winner Jordon Forster insists he takes more satisfaction in securing a clean sheet than notching his first goal for the club.
Like most defenders, Forster takes pride in shutting out opponents.
He helped Dundee keep Queen of the South at bay with a rock-solid defensive display before getting the decisive strike.
The hard-fought but crucial three points lifted the Dark Blues back into the play-off positions as they jumped up to third place, level on points with Inverness.
Forster went close to opening the scoring at the start of the second half when his powerful header was tipped over by Queens goalkeeper Ross Stewart, but he wasn’t to be denied.
In the 72nd minute when Stewart pulled off another save to claw out Christophe Berra’s header, Forster was in the right place at the right time to slam home the rebound.
Although he’d have preferred it if his header had broken the deadlock.
Forster said: “To be fair I would have liked that one more, it would have looked better. The goal was a bit scruffy.
“Listen, it’s nice to score but I’d trade a goal for a win and a clean sheet every day of the week but to get all three points is a good day.
“To win 1-0 was a really nice feeling but I’m probably happier with the clean sheet again this week. That’s two clean sheets in two games and a goal and an assist. So it’s been quite eventful for a centre-half.
“I’m definitely happier with the clean sheet. To be honest a goal’s a goal but a clean sheet is what most defenders base their game on.
“We got a lot of clean sheets at the start of the season then we came away from that so it’s nice in the last couple of games to have clean sheets.”
Dundee made one change to the side which defeated Partick Thistle 2-0 in their last outing with Andrew Nelson coming in for the injured Ross Callachan.
It was Queen of the South who threatened first through Deimantas Petravicius.
The Lithuanian striker nipped in ahead of Christophe Berra to latch on to a throw from Josh Meekings and drove towards the penalty area.
Petravicius could and should have played in the unmarked Stephen Dobbie but fortunately for Dundee he opted to go it alone and his low shot from the edge of the penalty area was comfortably saved by Conor Hazard.
Queens midfielder Abdul Osman hobbled off after 18 minutes and was replaced by Lewis Kidd.
Dundee gradually began to pose more of a threat as the first half wore on.
Graham Dorrans went close after controlling the ball on his knee and unleashing a volley from 22 yards that just cleared the crossbar.
The former Scotland international was then presented with another opportunity moments later when he stole in behind the Queen of the South defence but he blazed high over the crossbar.
Nelson then went close with a header from a Meekings angled pass but it went just the wrong side of the post.
Three minutes before the break Queens defender Callum Semple headed wide from a Dobbie free-kick.
Dundee turned up the pressure after the interval as they pushed for the crucial breakthrough.
Berra flicked on a long throw by Meekings and Nelson got on the end of it but his header didn’t have the power to beat Ross Stewart.
It was a comfortable save for the Queens goalkeeper who then pulled off an impressive reaction stop in the 49th minute, tipping over Forster’s powerful header from a Dorrans corner.
Kane Hemmings went close soon after with a curling shot from the edge of the penalty area.
But Dundee edged ahead after 72 minutes through an unlikely goalscorer as Forster grabbed his first for the club.
Paul McGowan lobbed the ball across
the penalty area and Berra sent a header towards goal, however that was pushed out by Stewart.
The rebound fell for Forster and the defender smashed it home from eight yards out.
Dundee’s Cammy Kerr came on for McGowan after 81 minutes, making his return after undergoing a tidy-up operation on his knee earlier this month.
There would be no wild celebrations from Forster following the win – he knows Dundee still have their work cut out to secure second place in the Championship behind champions-elect Dundee United.
He said: “Everyone is different and some boys might like to go out and celebrate but for me it’ll just be home and a pizza.
“We’ve come down and got the three points. It’s put to bed as soon as you’re back on the bus.
“With Inverness getting beat on Friday night you do the maths and we knew how big a game this one was.
“Listen, it’s massive to finish second, it’s huge. At the start of the season that wasn’t the goal but it’s changed now. That is the goal now to finish as high up as we can.
“In the last couple of weeks we’ve made good steps to make that happen and
“To win 1-0 and seal the three points was a really nice feeling but I’m probably happier with the clean sheet again this week. JORDON FORSTER
it’s down to us as professionals to keep working hard and make sure that keeps going for the remaining weeks.
“There’s been a real emphasis in the last few weeks to work smarter and work harder for each other as team-mates.
“Be a bit grittier and nastier and that’s showed on the pitch.”
Boss James McPake hailed the character of his side follow their win, which makes it three unbeaten for Dundee.
He said: “It’s not happened enough as a football club, winning these types of games.
“At half-time we said it was a test of character and it was to get them in the mindset that no matter what happened we were going to get the victory.
“Defensively we were very solid and that’s not just the three centre-backs and goalkeeper, that’s as a team.
“It’s two wins, it’s two clean sheets but it’s been three decent performances now.
“I’m cautious to say its momentum just yet because we’ve been here before when we think we’ve turned the corner.
“But I think we’ve now got characters in the team that won’t allow that. We’re getting stronger in that sense but we need to kick on as we’ve got a massive period coming up.”