Clark torments Dundee again as he keeps clean sheet record intact
DUNDEE
Melamed 20
0
1
Zander Clark underlined his credentials as a nemesis figure for Dundee fans on Saturday.
The big, bearded keeper kept another clean sheet – his fifth in a row against Dundee. He was involved in a high profile spat with Neil Mccann three years ago after his side won 4-0 at Dens Park, though he was on the bench on that occasion.
The manner of his late save from Charlie Adam’s penalty made it possible to wonder whether Dundee will ever score past Clark again – and who knows when they will next meet?
It could be next season if Dundee make the most of the less cluttered itinerary that is the one upside to being knocked out of the Scottish Cup. They play Ayr tomorrow night in a crucial league fixture. Presumably, Jason Cummings – left out of the side for the cup tie – will be restored to the starting line-up. He only appeared as a second-half substitute on Saturday and was eager to take the penalty when his side were handed the chance to draw level, after Guy Melamed’s clinical first-half opener, with 15 minutes left.
Clark felt extra motivated to make the match-defining save having been culpable for conceding the award. He wiped out Danny Mullen on the edge
of the box after mistiming an attempt to punch the ball.
Adam is skipper and a decade older than Cummings, who scored Dundee’s previous penalty against Hearts, so the ex-hibs striker had to defer to seniority. It’s likely the meticulous Clark was well-briefed about Cummings’ penalty taking technique. He certainly knew all about Adam, not that this guarantees anything - as he himself acknowledged. On this occasion, however, Adam did stick with his preferred
method of hitting the kick towards the right-hand corner, to the keeper’s left.
“He’s taken a few in the past which I’ve had a look at,” said Clark. “But you can watch as many as you want – somebody can hit 25 in a row one way and then put it in a different direction this one time and there’s nothing you can do.
“I tried to wait as long as I could and hope he’d go back to that one where he tries to whip it to the goalie’s left.”
Clark got a touch to the ball
which took it onto the post. He was then relieved to see the ball rebound towards him.
There would normally have been a noisy band of away supporters in the stand behind gleefully celebrating such a pivotal moment while delighting in the misery of the Dundee fans, who, along with some players, spent the countdown to this fixture telling anyone who would listen how little they care about St Johnstone. “We’d have had a big support through here,” said
Clark. “Dundee class their derby as Dundee United but we’re not bothered about that. They can class whatever they want as their derby.
“All that matters to us is winning. It would have been nice tohavebeeninfrontofourfans behind the goal after the game because they would have had a lot to shout about. I hope a lot of them have enjoyed watching it in the house – although I’m sure there will be a few who begrudge giving their money to Dundee telly!”