The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dark Blues can bounce back: Miller
Controversial penalty the difference as Dens men lose out after bright start
DUNDEE 1 KILMARNOCK 2
Kenny Miller insists the Dundee players will come back stronger after suffering the “gut punch” of losing to Kilmarnock in controversial circumstances.
The Dark Blues had got off to a great start against Steve Clarke’s side, taking an early lead through Adil Nabi with his first goal for the club.
Killie equalised with a Jordan Jones shot sailing into the net with the help of a large deflection off home defender Andy Boyle.
Dundee then received that hammer blow in the second half when referee Steven McLean awarded a penalty, with video footage later showing Dark Blues defender Cammy Kerr had made no contact and Jones had dived to win it.
The spot-kick was converted by Eamonn Brophy and Dundee were unable to recover to even secure a draw from the game.
However, Miller is adamant the players will bounce back after the international break when they travel through to the side he left as playermanager earlier this season, Livingston.
The former Scotland striker said: “We are bottom at the moment and it has been a gut punch the way we have lost that game but we will come back.
“We have a couple of weeks now but it is never nice losing going into an international break, that’s for sure.
“We will come back stronger with a huge opportunity away to Livingston to get back to winning ways and climb the league.
“We want to put a run of results together. That’s why it (Kilmarnock defeat) is particularly disappointing.
“But we have enough in the dressing room and again it is fine margins.”
The home side scored in just the 10th minute. Killie failed to clear a cross and the ball fell to Nabi who took his chance with aplomb, making space for himself before rattling a low shot past the helpless visitors’ keeper Jamie MacDonald.
However, Clark’s men equalised in fortuitous circumstances just seven minutes later when Jones’ deflected shot looped up and over Dundee goalie Elliott Parish and into the back of the net.
Kilmarnock then took the lead in the 55th minute when Jones tumbled in the home box and Brophy calmly stepped up to dispatch the penalty just beyond the diving Parish.
Killie were then awarded another penalty in the 73rd minute when Calvin Miller barged into the back of Chris Burke. This time, with Brophy having been subbed earlier, Greg Stewart took the spot-kick but Parish pulled off a great diving save to his left to deny the striker.
However, Dundee could not take advantage of that let-off and Killie secured all three points.
Miller was reluctant to brand Jones a diver but he did admit it is never easy when Killie take a lead in a game.
He said: “Take a dive sounds bad. You can try and read a tackle sometimes but that tackle doesn’t come.
“Maybe by seeing Cammy’s leg come with a little bit of movement, he has thought this is coming, I can go over. But Cammy’s leg doesn’t come and he goes down.
“I never want to level anything against a fellow pro but it is not a penalty and in these situations, you hope the referee gets it right.
“Unfortunately today, he has got it wrong and it is another one that has cost us a result after again a really positive first half.
“It certainly doesn’t help against a very good, well organised Kilmarnock team.
“This is what they have been known for since Steve Clarke came in – a team that is hard to beat and have threats that can hurt you.
“When you go 2-1 down to that team, straight away you see the substitutions with a striker off and Gary Dicker on to shore up the midfield and it is going to be tough for us to play through it and back into the game.
“They are defending a lead and they do that well.
“So it was a big decision and a big turning point in the game, no doubt about it.”
Miller added: “There is no contact but he (McLean) said he felt it was a penalty.
“If he feels it is a penalty then that is his decision to make but we can all look back on it now and know it is not a penalty.
“So it is one he has got wrong and it is frustrating that we are sitting here talking about another decision that has impacted a game.
“If it was three or four one and it has not impacted a game then you can overlook it a little bit but the fact it has decided the game is pretty disappointing.”