DUNDEE WILL FIND CUTTING EDGE, VOWS BOSS McPAKE

JAMES McPAKE is confident his Dundee team will show their ‘ruthless’ streak soon. The Dark Blues have not scored in three matches and are yet to win a Premiership game since getting promotion. But McPake believes his side are creating many more chances than they were in his early months in the job two years ago.

With the likes of Leigh Griffiths, Jason Cummings and Cillian Sheridan up front, McPake is sure the goals will come if his side keep playing the same way.

Dundee’s latest defeat was a 1-0 loss at Tannadice when his side could not convert some good openings thanks to a mixture of their finishing and fine Dundee United defending. Speaking ahead of the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone at Dens Park tonight, McPake said: ‘We just need a wee thing to fall for us and to keep believing in what we are doing, because we are creating proper chances. ‘That’s something I have been critical of, and the fans have been critical of, in the past couple of years, that we don’t create enough chances. ‘I think now you’re seeing a Dundee side that are creating a lot of chances. Now it’s time to put them away.

‘The players are getting frustrated. But we have stressed to them that we would much rather that than lose a game having created nothing. ‘At the start, we seemed like we played nice football and didn’t really create chances and we would have one shot at goal. ‘But now we are creating enough chances to win games and we know with the strikers we have got, and the goals in midfield, and we will start putting set-pieces away, that the goals will come.’ St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson, meanwhile, revealed his side are determined to get to Hampden for the supporters who watched their double cup success from home last season.

Saints have claimed their only three major trophies since their fans were last at Hampden, for a Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Motherwell in 2011. They won the Scottish Cup at Celtic Park in 2014 while supporters were shut out of all four Hampden appearances last season amid the pandemic. Davidson said: ‘What we are focused on is trying to get the supporters to Hampden. They missed out last season. ‘To get to Hampden again would be an unbelievable achievement in three cup competitions in a row. So that’s what we are focused on.’