SICK LINE NEEDED FOR DOC
Boss gutted as Dee blow top-six chance.. for now 3
DENS boss Tony Docherty admitted he was hurting after a late collapse stopped Dundee from sealing a top-six berth yesterday.
The Dark Blues were 2-0 up through Jordan McGhee and Luke McCowan – but ended up losing a five-goal thriller.
Well hit back with secondhalf goals from Georgie Gent, Theo Bair and Moses Ebiye all in the final 14 minutes.
If Dundee had won, results elsewhere would have booked them a top-half finish – but they can still make it with a win from their upcoming games against Rangers and Aberdeen.
Docherty reckons the match hinged on a spot-kick verdict by VAR who judged that Joe Shaughnessy had handled in the box.
He said: “It’s a sore one. We’re hurting. You don’t know other results at the time but we were 14 minutes from the top six.
“Goals change games and Motherwell got momentum from a VAR decision.
“I haven’t seen it back but nobody claims for the penalty.
“We were comfortable at 2-0 so we should see the game out.
“I won’t be critical because the players have been brilliant.
“And the one positive is we know we still have a chance to do what we need to do.”
Docherty admitted his dressing room was more of a hurt locker. He said: “The guys in the dressing-room are really hurting but we can’t dwell on it.
“It’s history now – we have to look ahead and look at the final two matches to make sure it is positive going forward. That is something we’ll address as a group. We’ll analyse that.
“We have to realise we still have a big opportunity. All season the team have shown real resilience – and I am looking for that again.”
The match beat the weather despite Tayside being battered by heavy rain. The pitch was heavily sanded in areas but passed two inspections.
Well weren’t convinced and made a pre-match complaint to league officials.
But SPFL chiefs were clearly keen to get this fixture played with the league split incoming.
Dundee were left wondering why they bothered while Motherwell were far happier.
Both players found the conditions difficult and that was added to by the in-coming Storm Kathleen.
Dundee finally found their footing. Luke McCowan’s free-kick was headed back by Aaron Donnelly for Antonio Portales but he fired into the side netting.
Dundee kicked up their own storm when they took the lead in 37 minutes.
Lyall Cameron’s free-kick from the right was unselfishly headed back across goal by Amadou Bakayoko for Jordan n McGhee to head in.
Well knew they had to turn n things around to keep alive e their own faint top-six hopes. s.
Blair Spittal beat a man then en fired over and next crossed for or Andy Halliday who headed ed wide at the back post. But Motherwell captain Liam Kelly left his team right up against it as he completely missed McCowan’s in-swinging corner and it embarrassingly dropped in the back of his own net in the 69th minute.
Well got a hand back into the game by VAR. It adjudged that Shaughnessy had handled in the box and referee David Dickinson pointed to the spot after reviewing the footage.
Bair’s kick was saved by Jon McCracken but Gent followed up to slam in the rebound in the 78th minute.
Bair made amends when he beat two defenders and skipped round McCracken to tuck the ball into the empty net.
Dundee were swaying and Bair could have had another two efforts and Vale skied over.
But Well got their winner deep in stoppage time. Lennon Miller found Vale and his cross was swept home by Ebiye.