The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Poor goals’ cost Dundee a place in quarter-finals, claims Cammy Kerr
Dark Blues look to put cup disappointment behind them and focus on clash with Killie
DUNDEE 0 MOTHERWELL 2
Dundee’s Cammy Kerr admits his side have to cut out the errors costing them dearly in attack and defence.
The Dark Blues created and spurned a host of chances against Motherwell on Saturday while conceding two calamitous goals that cost them the match.
Exiting the Scottish Cup at the fifthround was a bitter pill to swallow for Neil McCann’s men, especially after so much emphasis had been placed on doing well in the competition this season.
However, Kerr insists the team have no time to feel sorry for themselves as all their attention turns to the Premiership and a crucial match at Kilmarnock tomorrow night.
The full-back said: “I am gutted to go out of the cup.
“We probably did enough to win or at least take something from the game in terms of the chances we made.
“However, we can keep going on about the opportunities we are creating but the goals we lost were poor and obviously cost us.”
He pointed out the cost of not taking chances at this level, adding: “It was so frustrating to then see them going up the other end and score the second goal.
“The manager was again not happy,” he added.
“He gets his point across in the right way but we know ourselves that there were things we did in the game that weren’t right. We need to cut out the mistakes.”
Kerr added: “The fans were frustrated as well and I can understand that completely.
“But bar the two mistakes, mishaps, I didn’t think Motherwell created much in the game. I don’t think they really cut us open.
“I think it was a stuffy game but there wasn’t too much in it to see us defeated the way we did.
“We have big games coming up in the league and we need to turn our attention straight to Tuesday at Kilmarnock, which is a really tough place to go to.
“We just have to try to pick up three points.
“We have to be solid.
“We had that the last couple of months but we haven’t been that way in the last two games.
“We have made mistakes and conceded quite a few so that is something we have to eradicate.”
Dundee’s day began promisingly with Sofien Moussa sending a header just wide and then firing a shot over the bar within the first eight minutes.
Former Dundee United striker Nadir Ciftci had a great opportunity for the Steelmen but his header was just off target.
The breakthrough was made by Motherwell in the 30th minute when Craig Tanner hit a speculative half volley from 20 yards that Dark Blues keeper Elliott Parish allowed to squirm through his hands and into the back of the net.
There were then further chances for Dundee’s Genseric Kusunga, Kevin Holt, Darren O’Dea and Mark O’Hara before Moussa looked certain to score in the 54th minute, only for Well keeper Trevor Carson to pull off a fine low save from his shot.
The Dark Blues were made to rue that missed opportunity when Motherwell instantly made it two with Parish racing out for a ball only to be beaten by his own defender Holt, who headed under pressure for an own goal.
McCann slammed his side’s “criminal” defending and was equally frustrated about the players’ wastefulness in front of goal.
The manager said: “When you look at the chances we missed, I’m not just going to hang out the defence and the goalkeeper.
“I probably counted six or seven, I
When you look at the chances we missed, I’m not just going to hang out the defence and the goalkeeper. NEIL McCANN
would say 100% chances – free headers, balls bouncing in the box, no composure, not making Carson work, which is criminal.
“And the goals we have lost are shocking – gifts to Motherwell.
“But when you miss those types of chances and cough up goals like that, how can you come in here and say you were unlucky?
“We weren’t. It’s just wasteful in front of goal and it’s weak in defence,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Ciftci said he enjoyed being back at Dens, even if he did receive a hostile reception from the home fans.
“We are in the next round,” he said. “It was a good performance from the boys and we stuck together.
“It wasn’t easy because they had a few chances from set-plays.
“We should have dealt with things a little bit better not to give them the chances but overall I am really proud of the team.
“These are the type of games you like to come and play. You get some stick but that is part of the game with my history with Dundee United. I enjoyed it.”