Any chance of a goal? Yes... two

McDaid gets last laugh as managerial wind-up merchants shut up by brace

DUNDEE 2 ARBROATH 0

Dundee’s Declan McDaid admits his goal drought had been starting to prey on his mind – but he certainly wasn’t receiving much sympathy from boss James McPake and his assistant Jimmy Nicholl about the situation.

The winger had played 13 times since joining the Dark Blues in the summer from Ayr United but had failed to hit the back of the net for his new team.

That all changed on Saturday against Arbroath with McDaid hitting a superb double to secure all three points at Dens.

Now, the 23-year-old is looking forward to silencing the managerial wind-up merchants.

McDaid said: “I am absolutely buzzing after that. Playing in my position, you obviously want to be scoring goals and it hasn’t really been happening for me.

“I knew it was coming eventually and I am delighted to get two in one day.

“I just want to kick on now and get more. We had been working hard all week on breaking teams down and you saw it could have been a lot more than two. It was great to see our work coming to fruition.

“I was really pleased to open my account for the club especially at home.

“I am just glad to get it out of the way as it was getting into my head a wee bit not scoring.

“The gaffer and the assistant were winding me up about it saying, ‘Is there any chance of you scoring?’ “So I’ll be able to shut them up now. “There is always a really good spirit about the place. I think we have been playing well but it is tough as teams sit in a lot against us which makes it difficult.

“But as I said, we have worked hard this week on how to break them down and we showed that today.”

The Red Lichties had the first clearcut opportunity of the game in the 12th minute when former Dundee striker Steven Doris found space in the home box to hit a shot that was deflected wide for a corner.

The Dark Blues responded soon after but Paul McGowan’s header was easily saved by Arbroath stopper Derek Gaston.

Back came Campbell’s men with David Gold sending a low shot from the edge of the Dundee box just wide of Jack Hamilton’s right-hand post.

McGowan was then presented with another chance but Red Lichties fullback Jason Thomson made a vital block to keep out his shot.

In the 32nd minute Dundee’s Jordan Marshall sent an inviting cross in from the left but Kane Hemmings could not get enough on his header and Gaston made a comfortable save.

However, the deadlock was broken in spectacular fashion six minutes later.

There seemed little danger as McDaid picked up the ball 25 yards out but he hit a low shot that flew past Gaston and into the back of the net off the post for his first goal for the club.

That counter came close to being trumped right on the stroke of half-time as Marshall hit a great cross from the left with Hemmings producing an incredible overhead kick that flew just over the bar.

Clear-cut opportunities were noticeable by their absence at the start of the second half although Dundee were looking the more likely to break that pattern – and so it proved.

McDaid was denied in the 59th minute as Gaston made a superb save but the Dundee player made no mistake from the resultant corner, picking the ball up on the left of the Arbroath box and sending an unstoppable curling shot high past the keeper.

Arbroath came storming straight back with Ben Stirling hitting a long-range shot that cannoned off Hamilton’s righthand post.

McDaid admitted he thought he would be denied his first goal by the woodwork and was just relieved and delighted to see it go in.

He said: “To be fair, I saw the line of the ball and I thought it was coming back out but it just moved and thankfully hit the inside of the post and gone in so I was buzzing.

“It was the most comfortable we have been and that has just come over time.

“We have been playing well but not getting the results.

“Hopefully the wins will start coming now.”

Arbroath boss Dick Campbell admitted McDaid’s opener had been a big blow to his team.

He said: “Our gameplan was working until Dundee got their first goal.

“That kind of knocked the stuffing out of us going in at half-time. And their second one was a sensational strike.

“Dundee deserved overall to win the game so I can’t complain too much.”