The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
McCann takes it easy on keeper
No blame game by Dark Blues boss after howler
ST MIRREN 2 DUNDEE 1
Dundee boss Neil McCann decided not to pile on the agony after Jack Hamilton’s howler lost his team a game they should have won.
It was an act of compassion from McCann, who had just watched his side chuck away the opening Premiership match against newly-promoted St Mirren at the Simple Digital Arena in Paisley on Saturday.
It would have been easy to wade in with criticism after Hamilton stood on the ball to gift possession to Buddies sub Ryan Flynn, who laid the ball on for Danny Mullen’s winner with just six minutes left on the clock.
However, the Dark Blues manager resisted the temptation to slaughter his number one.
“It was just a bad decision from Jack. “We all make mistakes,” he said. “We’re trying to encourage him to play, but at that moment in time it was not the right thing.
“I think his mind maybe just got a bit clouded. He took the wrong decision and we paid a heavy penalty.
“Of course he is disappointed and he has come in and apologised to the boys.
“But I’m not going to go through him as I thought he made some good stops in the first half. He’s made a mistake, which he knows. I’m not going to go in and state the obvious.”
Hamilton also got backing from his opposite number Craig Samson, who turned from zero to hero after he pulled down Dens frontman Jean Mendy to give away a penalty and then leaped to his left to save Sofien Moussa’s spot-kick.
Samson said: “Of course, I had sympathy for him (Hamilton).
“It’s happened to me at exactly the same place before.
“Dundee want to try to play the ball out and Jack maybe felt he had to play a ball out rather than clear it.
“But I remember the exact same thing happening to me when Leigh Griffiths (of Celtic) took the ball off me at the exact same goal and put it into an empty net.
“That’s the way Dundee want to play and I’m sure Jack will learn from it and when and where to kick it away.”
Of course, Hamilton wasn’t the only one at fault for Dundee travelling home empty-handed despite long spells of dominance.
You could also point the finger at some sloppy finishing and, of course, there was that rather lackadaisical penalty attempt from Moussa.
McCann, who thought Samson could have been red-carded for the foul on Mendy, said: “We had a gilt-edged opportunity from the penalty spot.
“It was a good save from big Craig. Whether he should still have been on the field, I have my thoughts on that.
“I don’t have a problem with the new rule because the triple punishment can be harsh at times, but it’s whether he makes a genuine attempt to play the ball.
“The keepers hedge their bet.
“If they’re clever enough they go low, but he’s not getting the ball. He’s never getting the ball.
“So there’s no genuine attempt for me. I think it’s past him before he’s dived, so therefore he’s cleaning out the player.
“But he stays on the field and makes a good stop, which Moussa is unhappy about.”
There was a blow for the Dens men before kick-off when key midfielder Glen Kamara’s name failed to appear on the team sheet.
Moussa was back after his rib injury, though, and replaced Craig Wighton up front.
The other change for the Dark Blues from the line-up that started the Betfred Cup win over Brechin City a week earlier was the selection of Hamilton in goal ahead of Elliott Parish.
After some early pressure from the hosts the first golden chance fell to Mendy, whose header off Elton Ngwatala’s cross was saved by Samson.
On six minutes the visitors broke upfield again but Moussa pulled his shot wide of the far post.
Having passed up those opportunities, Dundee fell behind on nine minutes.
The goal was a simple one, with Danny Mullen glancing a header past Hamilton after he was found by Paul McGinn’s cross.
The Dark Blues were only behind for three minutes, however.
It was an excellent strike from the edge of the box by Ngwatala, the 25-yearold Frenchman’s first-time shot finding the back of the net via the post.
Cammy Smith had the ball in the back of the net for the Buddies on 21 minutes but he clearly pushed Cammy Kerr.
Just a couple of minutes later, it should have been 2-1 to the hosts but Matty Willock somehow headed over from close-range at the back post.
Hamilton then had to look lively to deal with a Paul McGinn cross/shot on 33 minutes, pushing the ball around the post.
With half-time looming the Dark Blues came close when Paul McGowan’s free-kick was met by the head of Josh Meekings but the ball skidded across the top of the net.
Up at the other end, the final chance of the half fell to Saints, with Smith’s low strike getting shoved around the post by Hamilton.
The visitors started brightly in the second half and carved open two superb chances.
On 47 minutes Kharl Madianga squared it on to Mendy but the striker could only manage a fresh-air shot. Then Jesse Curran’s cutback flew right across the face of St Mirren’s goal without any takers.
With 55 minutes on the clock Dundee’s dominant spell continued with a run, cut inside and then strike wide by Mendy.
The Dens men were on top but squandered a glorious chance to take the lead on 58 minutes.
There was some baffling defending from the hosts which saw Cole Kpekawa give up the chase of a long ball. That allowed Mendy to nip in, go around the goalie and then get pulled down to the floor by Samson, who earned just a yellow card.
It was a definite spot-kick and a gift to the Dark Blues, but Moussa’s unconvincing shot was saved by Samson.
Dundee then should have scored on 62 minutes when Mendy shot straight at Samson from inside the six-yard box.
Moussa had a chance on 76 minutes but took the ball too far to the right and it rolled out for a goal-kick.
The punishment for the profligacy in front of goal came on 84 minutes.
It was a nightmarish goal to lose. Hamilton had played a goal-kick to Cammy Kerr but seemed to stand on the return ball. Buddies sub Ryan Flynn robbed the keeper of possession and squared to Mullen for the tap-in.
Losing may have been cruel on the visitors but they really only had themselves to blame.