Dee show no hunger

PLAYERRATINGS Caley seal a vital win as Dark Blues lose their way

NORMAL service has resumed for Dundee after last night’s surprise defeat to Inverness brought back their season-long inconsistencies.

On the back of three impressive performances and amid the wave of positivity under interim boss Neil McCann, the Dark Blues were expected to put on a show against the league’s bottom side in the last home fixture of the season.

However, Tuesday’s result i n Dingwall where Ross County defeated Hamilton 3-2 and, in the process, ensured Dundee’s safety from relegation seemed to take the edge off things.

The pressure was off and it was clear from the beginning.

That loss for Hamilton had the opposite effect on Inverness, though, as it kept alive their slim hopes of jumping off the bottom and into 11th.

The pressure was on Caley and that was clear from the beginning, too.

They were up for it and the Dark Blues just weren’t.

Straight from the off, Scott Bain almost gifted Billy Mckay a goal after dallying on the ball too long and letting the Northern Irish international close down his clearance.

The ball somehow flew wide off Mckay but, when presented with an easy chance just seconds later, he didn’t have too long to ponder how it didn’t go in.

He found himself free 12 yards out and slotted past Bain after two minutes.

And before Dundee had woken from their slumbers, Inverness were away and clear with a two-goal lead.

Alex Fisher was unmarked on the edge of the home box despite defenders around him but had it all to do with a dinked ball dropping past him.

Hooking a volley goalwards, he found the corner and Caley were cruising.

Going forward, the Dark Blues looked dangerous and capable of opening up the visiting defence but, at the back, they looked in danger of conceding again.

Every ball heading into the Dundee box caused problems and every ball seemed to find it’s way through to Mckay.

There were chances at both ends with Darren O’Dea sticking a header over from inside the six-yard box before Cammy Kerr had a decent opening but blasted wide.

At the other end, Mckay came close to a second only for Kevin Gomis to block, while Fisher put a free header wide just after the half-hour.

Dundee were trying to play out from the back and for much of the first half they were able to move themselves out of trouble but, on 35 minutes, a James Vincent mistake summed up the performance from Dundee.

Given an unhelpful ball from Kevin Holt in the middle of the park, Vincent tried to turn and was robbed, sending Caley bodies clear only for Holt’s desperate lunge to end up catching Mckay offside.

Dundee did create a golden chance to get one back as Nick Ross sent a fabulous backflick into the path of Marcus Haber but Ryan Esson was out quickly in the Caley goal to block.

Had that gone in, Inverness’ nerves would’ve been jangling and you might have fancied the Dark Blues to get back into it.

However, the chance went begging and that was about that — the less said about the second half, the better.

After a brief honeymoon period under Neil McCann, Dundee’s inability to put together a run of results has reared it’s head again.

Now, though, they’ll be desperate to make up for that display at Hamilton.