MEEKINGS CRAVES THREE POINTS, NOT REVENGE

JOSH MEEKINGS insists Dundee are not seeking revenge against bitter rivals Dundee United — but has warned they have learned from the horrors of their past two derby defeats. Meekings is relishing tonight’s short walk up to Tannadice as James McPake’s underdogs try to redeem themselves over the 6-2 hammering they received there in August, prior to last month’s meek 2-0 surrender to the Championship leaders at Dens Park. The Dundee club captain, though, is adamant that retribution is not foremost in their minds in their quest to pull off an upset and continue their own recent revival in domestic fortunes. Meekings said: ‘It’s nothing to do with revenge. It’s just about going out and doing our job. ‘We need to concentrate on ourselves. United are doing what they’ve been doing and have been good this season. But we need to take care of our own business. ‘It’s nothing to do with them. The game itself is 11 v 11 and we need to be the better team on the night — and make sure we come away with three points. ‘Hopefully, we have learned from those two derby defeats. Basically, we had a new group who had come together at the start of the season. A few boys, including myself, hadn’t played in a Dundee derby before but we know what it’s about now. ‘It’s been home and away, so you can only use that experience from both those games and take that into the next one. Obviously, you never forget. ‘It will always hurt but the main thing is we maintain our focus on the next game and, as a team, we’re trying to do that.’ Dundee need no reminding that defeat in the derby would leave them trailing United by 20 points but recent back-to-back wins over Dunfermline and Partick Thistle have helped raise morale within the Dark Blues camp. And fit-again Meekings, whose time on

Tayside has been blighted by a series of injuries, has told his resurgent team-mates that a third straight league victory would add further fuel to their own promotion push heading into 2020. Meekings said: ‘It’s nice to come off the back of a couple of wins. ‘I thought it was professional at the weekend, the way we went about our business at Partick Thistle. ‘It was nice also to get a clean sheet and do our job properly. So it’s always good to go into a big game like Friday’s with a positive mindset. ‘All the boys are positive with what’s happened in the last couple of weeks and we can take that feeling into it.’