Mcpake: I have no excuses, we should have won
Dundee manager James Mcpake refused to blame a Covid-19 scare at Dens Park for dropping points in a game he felt his side could have won.
Star midfielder Charlie Adam was ruled out, Liam Fontaine was only allowed to play after clearance was received late on Friday night, while Mcpake’s side also had to make do without the use of a physiotherapist.
The Dark Blues were also prevented from training on Friday with Mcpake saying: “It has been a tough 24 hours as we lost one of our most influential players and did not have a physio. Charlie was negative on Tuesday but was positive when tested again later on during the week.
“Liam was set to miss out and that changed our plans although we could not prepare properly anyway. It was not until 10 to 11 on Friday night that we knew Liam could play and you are never quite sure how players will be affected by these things.
“I could look to use all that as excuses. However, in the three games I have brought Dundee here, it is the best we have played.
“It is a game that I thought we had lost but I am actually disappointed at not winning after all the chances we created towards the end.”
Mcpake added: “Morton play a certain way, and I am not critical of them for that, but you know what you are in for. They are very direct and I thought Lee Ashcroft was excellent. He was a throwback to what centre-halves used to have to play like as he was heading everything away.”
Morton boss Anton Mcelhone admitted that his dressing room was an angry place after they allowed Dundee to hit back twice to deny the Greenock side their first win of 2021.
Mcelhone said: “The players were having a go at each other afterwards. They are hurting as it should have been three points but I am taking their disappointment as a good sign.
“They care a lot. This is not a team that thinks it is OK to lose points and they know that we need to start picking up wins.
“We should not have lost the first goal as it came from a simple mistake.
“However, I will take my share of responsibility for the confusion at the second. We had made a change and that affected the markers but there were enough players in the box to cope with it.
“They were throwing the kitchen sink at us but it is still disappointing.
“We will take it on the chin and move on.”