McPake proud of side after cup exit

“We fought our corner and fought it very well” – Dundee boss James McPake has spoken of his pride at the performance of his players despite falling to defeat at Hibs.

And he insisted there were “improvements all over the pitch” from his side during the 1-0 defeat after the “terrible” display at Ayr United the previous week.

He said: “Compared to the last week, I’m extremely proud of my players. You could see the fight and determination in that team.

“For 70 minutes the last time we were at Easter Road, we were decent enough, but not to that level.

“That was a stronger Hibs team than the previous game.

“Last week (at Ayr), we were terrible. (On Saturday) There were improvements all over the pitch and there was a real desire to get after the ball.

“There was a controlled aggression about us. I think unfairly we picked up a few bookings.

“Both teams were very competitive in the game – at Ayr we weren’t, we were soft. I’m extremely proud of my players.”

The defeat, however, makes it three losses in a row and just one win in six in all competitions.

Two of those defeats were against Hibs, the side sitting fourth in the top flight, sandwiching the disappointing day at Ayr.

Next up is Arbroath at Dens Park and McPake is certain a repeat of this performance will bring a much-needed three points when they get back to Championship action.

He added: “In football, you are judged on results. To get them, you need performances consistently.

“The performance was there on Saturday – I’m really proud of my players but gutted for them at the same time.

“I’m hurting because I wanted to be in the next round of the cup.”