Players determined to make amends for Dens displays: Holt

Kevin Holt is determined Dundee’s next game against Hearts a week on Sunday will see the Dark Blues finally return to winning ways – and prove the team do not have a problem playing at Dens.

Neil McCann’s men have lost their last three games without scoring once and drew another blank as they were defeated 1-0 at Aberdeen last weekend.

Holt though admits the players have still not banished the hurt from their previous match at Dens when they were embarrassed to lose 4-0 to St Johnstone.

The Dark Blues’ last home win came away back on December 16 against relegation rivals Partick Thistle.

However, Holt is looking for that barren spell to end when the Jambos come calling on April 1.

The 25-year-old former Queen of the South defender said: “Everyone is still hurting from the St Johnstone game.

“We lost 4-0 and we lost 4-1 earlier in the season (to Ross County). There have been games at home where we’ve let ourselves down, let everyone down.

“You can’t just put it to bed. Last Saturday was another defeat and it carries with you until you get a result.

“We’ve got Hearts next at home and we need to show there’s no problem playing at Dens – we just need to turn our form.

“The St Johnstone game was embarrassing for the club and for everyone involved.

“That’s not what we want – it’s not the way the club want to be going and we have higher expectations.

“We have underachieved this season with the squad we have. It’s a big squad full of quality and we have let everyone down so far.

“The good thing is we still have games to resurrect it, there are points to play for and we’re not in a terrible position.

“It’s not ideal but there are eight games left and plenty of points to be picked up.

“Everyone wants to change the form we are in – everyone is choking for a victory.”

It was a familiar tale of woe for Dundee in the Granite City with goalie Elliott Parish at fault for the only goal of the game while striker A-Jay Leitch-Smith passed up a superb opportunity to score for the Dark Blues.

And Holt admits those twin failings at either end of the pitch are coming back to haunt his side.

Holt said: “There was no questioning the boys’ fight.

“I thought we defended really well but it was another cheap goal and another game where we weren’t clinical when the chance came about.

“Over the course of the whole season it’s been a feature of our play – we’ve lost too many soft goals and not taken our chances.

“When we’re coming down to just eight games left, it’s coming back to haunt us.

“There were positives to take (against Aberdeen) which we can bring into the next game against Hearts.”