Buzzing, not raging, as Scott eyes Euro spot
Scott Tiffoney admits he was “raging” all last summer after suffering Premiership play-off final agony with Partick Thistle.
So he is determined to end this season on a high by helping propel new club Dundee into Europe for the first time in 21 years.
The Dark Blues have had a memorable campaign, clinching a top-six spot in their first season back in the top tier.
Tony Docherty’s men have now set their sights on finishing fifth which would secure a Europa Conference League qualifying place.
And Tiffoney insists the squad are fully aware of what that achievement would mean to the club.
The 25-year-old said: “Everybody in the changing room knows how good it would be to bring European football to Dundee.
“As the newlypromoted team, that hasn’t happened many times so it would be a good achievement for this group of players – we would be buzzing.
“The season is definitely not done for us.
“We will keep going, fighting for fifth until the very last game.
“The boys are well aware that it is a great opportunity. Every day in training since we secured top six has been the same intensity as it has been since the start of the season.”
Tiffoney acknowledged that his current buoyant mood is a far cry from the heartache he felt after Thistle’s promotion hopes were dashed when they lost to Ross County in a penalty shoot-out.
He added: “I think that just sums football up. You can only take it day by day as you never know what’s round the corner.
“What did it teach me? To end the season in a good way so you can go on your summer holidays happy. I think that was the main thing it taught me, as I was raging the full summer.”
Dundee kick off their post-split fixtures with a daunting game against title-chasing Celtic at Dens this afternoon.
The Dark Blues have lost three times to the Hoops already this season, including a 7-1 thrashing the last time the sides met in February.
Tiffoney insisted the Celtic Park mauling still hurts but he believes Dundee showed last week, when they drew with Rangers at home, that they have finally found their feet against the Old Firm.
The front man added: “We owe the fans massively for that last game at Parkhead.
“We can take a lot of confidence from the Rangers game the other night and it should stand us in good stead for the Celtic match.
“I think the Rangers game was a bit of a relief for the squad.”