Dark Blues must build momentum with win over Cove, says Elliott

Dundee head into tonight’s home Betfred Cup clash with League One leaders Cove Rangers as heavy favourites.

And Christie Elliott says it’s up to him and his Dark Blues team-mates to show exactly why.

Victory would put the Dens Park side on the verge of qualification to the knockout stages with a match at Hibs to come on Sunday.

After taking on Paul Hartley’s side twice in preseason, however, Elliott knows nothing will be easy against the Aberdeen outfit.

He said: “Cove are a team that’s used to winning if you look at their record. We played them twice in preseason and both games were really hard ones.

“Being the home team it’s important we control the game from the off and, being favourites, we need to show why.

“From those games we understand how they play but they have a lot of good players which we’ll need to keep quiet so we’ll need to be on it from the off.

“We want to qualify and do well in the cup so we can take some momentum back into the league. If we can get two good results then we can take that into the league again.”

Dundee head into tonight’s cup contest on the back of a disappointing draw at Alloa Athletic. Elliott made his first league start of the season in Clackmannanshire and despite the result hopes to have done enough to earn a run of games in the side.

“We have a good squad so once your chance comes you’ve got to take it,” he said.

“Hopefully, now I can keep my place in the team.

“You can train every day but playing games is where you get your match fitness. It’s important for your confidence as well to be in the team and if you’re playing well it gets better and better.

“Alloa was a frustrating game. We conceded soft goals and as a team we’ve looked at that and know where we need to get better but, on the other side, we created lots of chances which on another day we could have scored more goals.

“It’s important to take the positives as well and cut out what we did badly.”

Dundee will be without Graham Dorrans after he left for Australian side Western Sydney Wanderers at the start of the week.

Elliott admits it was a surprise but reckons the exit of the experienced player gives some of the club’s young midfielders like Fin Robertson a chance to shine.

“Not many of the boys knew what was going on before he said his farewells and stuff,” the former Partick man said.

“He was a big player and his experience is gone but it’s important for us to stick together and it might be a good thing for some of the young boys, t h e r e’s a position there to play for.

“It’s a massive incentive now to work that little bit harder. You look at the experience of Charlie Adam and Dorrans where the younger guys might wonder if they would play much. Take the chance and the manager will stick with you.

“I think the squad we have on paper right now is a really good one, we just need to put it out on the pitch and produce.”

Christie Elliott knows Dee face a tough test against Cove.