The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Allan backed to be key man for Dundee
Hendry confident it is a matter of time before Dark Blues turn corner
Dundee’s Jack Hendry is certain team-mate Scott Allan will prove to be one of the Dark Blues’ key players this season, writes Neil Robertson.
The on-loan Celtic midfielder was surprisingly subbed in the 37th minute of the game against Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday with manager Neil McCann saying the player had been struggling with a groin problem.
Hendry insists, though, that once Allan is fully fit and back to his best, Dundee will reap the rewards.
Hendry said: “He has quality in abundance. That’s why he has been at the clubs he has been at.
“Hopefully we can get the best out of him at Dundee because he has loads of ability. If he is performing to his best week in and week out, then it will really help the team.”
When asked how Allan was after getting taken off, Hendry replied: “It’s a team game and Scott understands that. He’s fine with it.”
RANGERS 4 DUNDEE 1
Dundee may be bottom of the Premiership and still searching for their first league win of the season but Dark Blues defender Jack Hendry insists no one has hit the panic button at Dens just yet.
The 22-year-old centre-half admitted mistakes cost his side dear at Ibrox on Saturday with Rangers ultimately winning the game comfortably. However, the former Partick Thistle and Wigan player firmly believes it is only a matter of time before this new-look Dundee squad fully clicks into gear.
Hendry said: “I thought we were in the game for large spells but the goals we conceded were disappointing and at the other end of the pitch I thought we could have grabbed a couple more.
“So, at both ends it wasn’t the best performance from us today but I thought we competed for large spells.
“It’s obviously disappointing to come off a 4-1 loss but I thought we did well in large spells of the game. It is really just about silly mistakes.
“If we take those silly mistakes out then I feel we have a really good team and squad on our hands.
“It is very competitive and there is a real good set-up.
“The lads are confident that it won’t be long before we kick on. But obviously we need to go and do it on the pitch rather than saying things now.
“There is a good togetherness and mixture in the team.
“I think we probably have one of the best squads in the league so there is no panic whatsoever.
“That will show through the more games we play and hopefully we can start picking up points.”
There was a youthful look to the Dundee side against Rangers with more seasoned campaigners such as skipper Darren O’Dea and Paul McGowan left on the bench by boss Neil McCann.
Hendry insists the manager deserves plaudits for backing the younger players but they now have to start repaying him.
He said: “It’s a lot of credit to the manager for showing faith in the youngsters and I thought we embraced it for large spells in the game.
“The young lads did really well but there are mistakes during the game that are going to get punished, especially at a place like this. The sooner we cut those mistakes out, the better.”
Not surprisingly, the home side dominated the early exchanges with Alfredo Morelos having a great chance in just the third minute, but he sent his header over Dundee keeper Scott Bain’s crossbar.
Daniel Candeias then sent a dangerous ball in from the right with Niko Kranjcar looking certain to score at the back post but Bain made a vital block to deny the Croatian.
The Dark Blues, playing in red, then
had an opportunity of their own when Faissal El Bakhtaoui made a lightning break down the right but with team-mate Roarie Deacon busting a gut to get into the Rangers box, the striker hit his cross too hard and the chance was lost.
In the 37th minute McCann made an early substitution taking off Scott Allan with A-Jay Leitch-Smith coming on for his debut.
Just four minutes later, Dundee’s resistance was finally broken.
Candeias found Morelos in the Dundee penalty area with a cheeky backheel and the striker made no mistake drilling the ball low past the exposed Bain.
Just seconds into the second half, the Dark Blues came agonisingly close to equalising. Leitch-Smith dug out a cross from the left with Deacon bulleting a header just inches past.
Dundee then came close again when the Rangers defence failed to deal with a corner, with the ball being headed towards goal by Kerr Waddell and Sofien Moussa just inches away from what would have been a tap-in.
However, there was a goal in the 69th minute – for the home side.
Candeias swung an inviting cross in from the right and Josh Windass gave Bain no chance with a superb header.
There seemed no way back for Dundee and that was confirmed in the 83rd minute when a Windass ball from the left found its way to fellow sub Carlos Pena and he made no mistake, lashing his shot into the back of the net.
Two minutes later and it was 4-0 with Morelos hitting an unstoppable shot from an incredibly-tight angle high past Bain.
In the 89th minute, El Bakhtaoui scored a goal for Dundee with a shot from the edge of the Rangers box, but it was far too little too late.