Point brings Dundee ever closer to a safe place
IF Dundee had shown as much energy as Neil McCann did on the touchline for the entire 90 minutes, they might well have been toasting to another season in the Premiership.
They are almost safe. The Dens Park interim manager sees his team sit five points above the relegation play-off spot with two games to go.
Jumping, running, heading every ball — McCann did not go unnoticed as he made his home debut in the hotseat.
But for the opening half-hour, his men failed to turn up. Liam Boyce grabbed his 22nd goal this season after four minutes and County could have added to their tally.
Credit to McCann’s team, who regrouped to earn a point thanks to captain Darren O’Dea’s penalty 14 minutes from time.
Indeed, they could have won here but did not break down County, who secured their place in next season’s top flight.
‘For 20 minutes, County had a go and we lost a disappointing goal,’ said McCann, whose team host bottom-side Inverness Caley Thistle on Wednesday. ‘But it’s how you react and, three games ago, we might have gone under with a lack of confidence.
‘However, we grew into the game and things started to happen. We dominated the second half. It’s a decent point.
‘I’m not worried about what happens elsewhere. We want to finish top of the bottom six. You see the confidence today starting to bubble towards the surface.
‘I’ve not regretted walking into this job. I’ve made three debuts now at Dens!’
County received a boost before kick-off with news that striker Alex Schalk had signed a oneyear extension to his contract, which keeps him at the club until the end of next season.
The Dutchman, who follows Ryan Dow and Craig Curran in signing new deals, started on the bench, while Boyce returned to face an unchanged Dundee team.
The visitors wasted no time in finding their groove in a clinical opening four minutes.
Michael Gardyne’s excellent work on the right allowed him to cut in on his left foot and curl a shot from 18 yards, which was brilliantly saved by Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain.
From the corner, the danger was cleared, but only for a moment. Back came the ball, Curran flicked it on and Boyce was never going to waste the chance to convert from close range.
Dundee were in a generous mood, gifting possession to the Staggies. The present of a second goal almost arrived via slack play in the home defence.
Boyce picked up the ball on the right and slipped it through to Curran in the box but, with Bain rushing out, he could not control his shot, which went just wide.
Dundee looked rattled. When they did break forward, they failed to make Scott Fox sweat. Faissal El Bakhtaoui’s 20-yard strike was hit well enough, but the County keeper held on to the ball.
Dow’s afternoon came to an end after 35 minutes when he failed to recover from a knock picked up in an earlier tackle.
With the last attack of the half, Dundee nearly levelled. Kevin Holt’s cross from the left found Paul McGowan at the back post but his effort floated inches wide.
The hosts emerged brighter after the break, with Jim McIntyre’s side not allowed the room they were gifted at the start of the first half.
O’Dea’s header was not the strongest. Indeed, it bounced off the turf before County’s Tim Chow cleared off the line.
El Bakhtaoui’s fierce shot from nearly 30 yards on the hour-mark flew inches over the bar as McCann’s men pressed.
Dundee’s reward eventually arrived from the penalty spot.
Cammy Kerr raced on to a throughball and was hauled down by Curran. The striker was booked before Dundee skipper O’Dea stepped up to fire the ball into the roof of the net.
‘The keeper was never going to save it,’ said McCann. ‘It’s not often a centre-back dispatches penalties but he is confident.’
McIntyre was unconvinced by the award. ‘It’s not a penalty,’ he said. ‘There’s contact but the ball is going to Fox, so Kerr isn’t getting it.’
Roles had been reversed and County looked rattled. Curran was quickly substituted, his frustration clear as he slumped on to the bench.
With six minutes remaining, Dundee fans could not believe their eyes as Holt’s cross was met by striker Marcus Haber, who lost his marker but headed straight at Fox from eight yards. Either side of the keeper and it would surely have been a goal.
Holt’s 20-yard drive in the final minute forced Fox to stretch as he pushed the ball wide.
‘For the first 25 minutes, we should have been more goals ahead but we became sloppy,’ said McIntyre.
‘We invited pressure from Dundee and gave their fans a lift. We warned the players that the bandwagon is rolling.
‘We’re safe but we want to try to stay unbeaten until the end.’
On Schalk’s new deal, McIntyre said: ‘He’s a key part of what we’re doing.’