The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Ridiculous’ talent hailed by team-mate
Scorer Kerr not surprised to see man-of-the-match showing from Wighton
Cammy Kerr has paid tribute to his Dundee team-mate Craig Wighton and the “ridiculous” talent he possesses.
The former opened the scoring for the Dark Blues on Saturday against Motherwell but it was the latter who received the man-of-the-match plaudits after producing a mouth-watering allround performance.
Kerr, who has come up through the ranks at Dens with Wighton, admits he was not surprised by his mate’s display and he believes his confidence is sky high after starting the last two games.
Kerr said: “We see it all the time in training and he has done it before in the past.
“People maybe say he needs to do it more but that’s the two games he’s played now and his confidence is getting higher and higher.
“I know him well enough and his talent is ridiculous.
“He is a really good player and he was brilliant for us against Motherwell.”
In the 40th minute against the Steelmen, Kerr robbed Scott McDonald of possession in the middle of the park then advanced before playing in Wighton. His shot was saved but Kerr followed up to gleefully slam the ball home.
And everyone in the ground could see just how much it meant to him to open his account for the club.
He said: “I won the ball off Scott McDonald and I just drove forward and I could hear Wighton coming down the outside of me. I played Craig in and he has done well.
“Craig Samson made a good save and it fell to me. It happened so fast and I just got caught up in the celebrations.
“I am delighted to score. It’s my first goal but more importantly we need to look at how good we were today as a team. Everyone was brilliant.
“We started the game well and then Motherwell came into it.
“To get that goal settled the nerves a little bit.
“I have been dying to score and I feel that’s something I can add to my game.
“Playing in the wing-back position, I am meant to get up and down, add goals, add crosses and be an attacking threat.
“So to get on the scoresheet is good for me.
“The fans are always good with me and Craig. I can only thank them for that.
“After that win last week we knew we had to go on and get another one this week.
“It sets us up nicely. There is the international break now and the boys will get rested up.
“But we needed the win and it was massive for us.”
Dundee began brightly and carved out the first real opportunity in the eighth minute when Wighton played in Kerr but the full-back’s shot from a tight angle flashed just past Motherwell keeper Craig Samson’s right-hand post.
Dundee keeper David Mitchell was then called into action when he had to tip a Lionel Ainsworth corner onto his bar.
The home stopper then had an even bigger scare when he caught a high, speculative McDonald ball into his box at full stretch and then stumbled backwards into his own goal.
It looked like the ball had crossed the line but the officials decided it hadn’t and the Dark Blues breathed a collective sigh of relief.
In the 24th minute, McDonald headed straight at Mitchell from an Ainsworth free-kick.
The striker was left to rue that missed opportunity when Kerr opened the scoring.
Five minutes after the restart, Wighton hit a fierce rising drive which Samson acrobatically tipped over with the keeper then having to be at his best again to keep out a Marcus Haber header, palming it off his crossbar.
Dundee were now dominant and came close to extending their lead in the 68th minute when Kevin Holt sent a shot from the edge of the Motherwell box flashing just inches past the post after great build-up play by the Dark Blues.
The home side finally did make it two in the 80th minute.
Wighton burst down the left showing some outstanding strength and skill, arrowing in on goal before unselfishly playing in Haber who smashed the ball past Samson.
Kerr admitted that he had not seen the Motherwell “goal” – and all he was concerned about was taking another vital three points.
He said: “To be fair I didn’t see it at the time and I have not watched it back.
“So I can’t really comment on that but we got the win and that’s the most important thing.”