Rugby Park display was ‘a big surprise’

Hateley pulls no punches as Dundee slip back to old ways with sorry defeat

Dundee’s Tom Hateley certainly did not pull his punches when delivering his verdict on his team’s performance in defeat against Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Prior to the visit to Rugby Park, the revitalised Dark Blues had won three out of the last four games, with the only defeat coming at Ibrox when Rangers netted an injury-time winner.

Paul Hartley’s side travelled to Ayrshire in confident frame of mind but were second best to Kilmarnock all day.

Hateley admitted Dundee’s display was as bad as when they were in the middle of a previous six-game losing streak.

And the 27-year-old midfielder insists the players all need to take a long, hard look at themselves before next weekend’s crunch game at home to Ross County.

He said: “A bad day at the office is probably the best way to describe the game. No-one really turned up and it was a disappointing afternoon. It just wasn’t good enough all round.

“I don’t think we will play well every week. We have been on a good little run of performances and we didn’t see it coming today, to be honest.

“It was a big surprise and everybody in the changing room is disappointed.

“We have another big game next week now and we just need to put this behind us. It was one of those off days that are going to happen during the season. Not everyone is going to play well every week and you just have to try to be as consistent as you can.

“Hopefully this is just one of those bad weeks that we have not had for a while. We have to put it behind us and kick on next week.”

Hateley added: “This is a big month and we have to keep being positive and confident. Like I said, we have been on a decent run, winning three out of four.

“Today wasn’t the same side we have been recently which is the most disappointing thing really.

“We were in a big slump earlier in the season and managed to come out the other side of it but today was almost going back to it. We didn’t pick up enough first balls, we didn’t pick up enough second balls...you could go through the whole team and say nobody was good enough.

“I am sure the boys will go home and look at themselves.

“Everybody is a man in there and doesn’t need telling that no-one did their job well enough.

“But we will go back into training next week and look to put things right.”

Killie took the lead in the 22nd minute when the ball broke fortuitously to Rory McKenzie who shot into the net off the post past Dundee keeper Scott Bain from 14 yards.

The Dark Blues rarely threatened as

an attacking force but they finally tested home keeper Jamie MacDonald in the 30th minute.

Marcus Haber won a header and knocked the ball into the path of sub Danny Williams, who had come on for James Vincent five minutes earlier, with MacDonald pulling off a fantastic diving save low to his right from the midfielder’s shot.

Dundee had a big scare just four minutes into the second half when Killie’s Nathan Tyson hit a snap shot which clipped the top of Bain’s bar.

The Dark Blues then had a great opportunity of their own when Kevin Holt flighted a cross in from the left to Haber loitering at the back post but the big Canadian sent his header wide when he should have at least worked MacDonald.

However, it was Kilmarnock who doubled their advantage in the 70th minute when a cutback from the left from Steven Smith found Souleymane Coulibaly who fired high past Bain to all but put the game to bed.

Dundee were denied a consolation goal right at the death when MacDonald made a stop with his feet to keep out a Williams header.

While the Premiership is incredibly tight at the moment, Hateley admitted he could envisage someone becoming detached at the bottom of the table – but insists it will not be Dundee.

He said: “It is a tight league and there isn’t much margin for error.

“Kilmarnock was a bad day for us but I am confident we can push ourselves up the league and detach ourselves that side of the table rather than being at the bottom looking up.

“I am fully confident in the boys and the ability that we have. But we need to turn up week in, week out and today we didn’t do that.”

Pictures: SNS. Rory McKenzie wheels away after giving the Rugby Park side the lead against the Dark Blues, who slipped to 10th place after defeat at the hands of Lee Clark’s men.

Dundee boss Paul Hartley, whose side had looked impressive in their last four matches, watches on from the sidelines.

Dark Blues midfielder Tom Hateley challenges Killie captain Stevie Smith for the ball.

Kostadin Gadzhalov goes up against goal hero Souleymane Coulibaly.