Bain helpless as Dundee’s Highland hoodoo continues
SCOTT BAIN, the Dundee goalkeeper, spared his team a thrashing in the Highlands but spared nobody, himself included, as he dissected another dismal afternoon for the Dens Park men.
The Scotland squad goalkeeper is convinced the Dark Blues are close to turning a corner in the Ladbrokes Premiership campaign, but painted the picture of a team lacking cohesion, understanding and certainty in their work after Saturday’s setback.
Dundee are accustomed to disappointment in the Highland capital, having failed to win at the Caledonian Stadium in all nine past attempts. Indeed, they have now failed to beat Caley Thistle in 16 tussles, home and away, dating back to November 2009. But the truly alarming statistic for Paul Hartley’s side and their supporters is the lack of a win since the opening day of the league season.
Bain, whose impressive saves prevented a worse outcome in Inverness, admitted: “We need to find our style and sense of the way we want to play. It has been a bit confusing.
“I think at the start of the day, the boys didn’t really know what we were doing. Once we can get that shape and get ourselves together, we can get out of it. We just need a little spark.
“Confidence is fine. We know we’re close. It’s just a case of putting the ball in the back of the net. But we’re not doing well enough defensively so that’s where our problems are stemming from – both of those.”
Bain, with Scottish international ambitions in mind, knows he needs to produce strong performances on a weekly basis – and this certainly fell into that category. Just before Lonsana Doumbouya’s eighth-minute opener, the Edinburgh-born 24 year-old produced a brilliant tip over the bar from Ross Draper. He also denied Jake Mulraney superbly after the Dens defence was split wide open after 64 minutes before pulling off a fine doublesave from Draper and Brad McKay.
“Obviously it is a big season for me, I need to play well every week,” Bain said. “I have high expectations of myself and high aspirations. So it is disappointing we didn’t get the result but, of course, I’m always looking to play well.”
Victory hoisted Inverness into eighth place – one slot above Dundee – and it was a thoroughly impr e s s ive performance.
Richie Foran’s signings appear to be plugging the gaps left by last year’s spate of big-name departures. Brad McKay was excellent in setting up two of the goals while Doumbouya looks very capable. After Bain’s acrobatic save from Draper, McKay fired in a superb cross and Doumbouya guided a powerful header high past Bain.
Home dominance crystallized into a second goal after 16 minutes when Julen Etxabeguren knocked down the lively Billy King. Greg Tansey flashed the spot kick high past Bain. When Dundee rallied towards half-time, Bain’s opposite number Owain Fon Williams was a match to it. The game was then done as a contest just six minutes into the second half when McKay slipped a perfect pass into Liam Polworth’s path in the box for a cool finish.