Dundee skipper Gary Harkins insists Sunday’s Scottish Cup mauling by Motherwell will not be allowed to deflect the Dark Blues from their number one target for this season.
First division survival remains the club’s top priority, and Harkins is confident the Dundee players can bounce back from the 4-0 defeat by the Steelmen when they travel to face Dunfermline this weekend.
“Sunday’s game is one we will want to forget, because I do not think we played anywhere near what we are capable of,” he said. “Motherwell were clinical and punished us for any mistakes we made, so it was a lesson learned for a lot of us.
“But we will not let it affect us too much we will get back into training this week and look forward to the Dunfermline game.
“The whole season is now about staying in division one. The league is the main thing now. We do not know what is going to happen with the appeal to the SFA, but as far as the players are concerned, we are still 25 points down.
“Our league form has been good recently, we are on an impressive run, but all those games are in the past now.
“Dunfermline are top of the table and it is always tough going to East End Park, but if we play like we have been recently Sunday apart then we will have a good chance.”Sparky’s nightmareDundee striker Leigh Griffiths was ordered off against Motherwell for a reckless late lunge on Steven Hammell and will now miss the next three games.
His boss Barry Smith told the youngster, who was being watched by several clubs interested in signing him, he had let his team-mates down.
Griffiths has since apologised for his moment of madness and Harkins believes the 20-year-old will have gained a harsh lesson from the experience.
“Sparky was daft and he knows it,” he added. “He will now be suspended for a few games so he is getting punished for it. But he is just a young lad he’s desperate to do well for the club and I think he let his frustration get the better of him.
“I am sure Sparky will learn from it he has to.”