Full-back Jordan Marshall has revealed a heart-to-heart between the defenders who conceded six at Hearts helped Dundee to a clean sheet last weekend.
And he’s determined to continue the sort of defensive performance that kept an in-form Morton team at bay this afternoon when Raith Rovers come calling.
The Dark Blues went into the match with David Hopkin’s Ton smarting after a 6-2 thrashing at Tynecastle.
The injured Jordon Forster was the only defender who didn’t retain their starting spot the following week.
Manager James McPake changed to a 4-4-2 set-up after that dismal showing but kept faith in Marshall, Cammy Kerr, Jordan McGhee and Lee Ashcroft.
And that faith paid off with a strong display that shut out Morton to ensure a 1-0 victory.
Left-back Marshall said: “The back four spoke to each other and said there was pressure on the boys to keep a clean sheet after conceding six.
“Obviously that is nowhere near good enough especially at this club so we said we would fight tooth and nail against Morton.
“It was massive getting the win last Saturday after a poor performance at Tynecastle.
“It was vital that we got the clean sheet as well. Morton threw a lot at us but I felt we defended quite well.
“They only had one or two chances.
“It is now all about momentum and we just have to kick on, winning games especially at home.
“We have to make Dens a hard place to come for teams.”
Marshall knows exactly what to expect from last season’s League One champions when Raith arrive at Dens Park.
They put five goals past the full-back’s former side Queen of the South last week as the Kirkcaldy side enjoy their return to the second tier with two wins from two.
“They have scored a few goals including five last week so they obviously know the way to the back of the net,” Marshall added.
“They are different to Morton who are quite defensive and play to their strengths while Raith like to get the ball down.
“We have watched clips of them this week and prepared for them in training. I think it should be a good game.
“And their striker Manny Duku has scored a few goals already, including at Tynecastle, so we will have to keep an eye on him.”
Marshall returned to the Dundee team in the opening match of the campaign at Brora Rangers after injury and lockdown had kept him out of action since January.
And he’s quickly shown Dees exactly what they’ve been missing with some all-action displays down the left flank.
Not just defensively but in an attacking sense, too, with an assist for Jonathan Afolabi last week, the only goal of the game, to add to a key role in the first goal of the campaign up at Brora Rangers.
Marshall said: “We were playing with wing-backs in the first two games so that was giving me a bit more freedom to go in there and not worry what was behind me.
“Last Saturday we played a different formation with Dorrans in front of me but he left a channel for me to bomb up and down.
“I managed to get a few crosses in and get an assist.
“I enjoy the running. I think I did about 10-and-a-half kilometres last week, which is quite a lot.
“I felt tired afterwards but the important thing was we got three points.”
Marshall also told of how he fell for pre-season hijinks involving team-mate Forster.
After recovering from a severe muscle tear at the start of the year, Marshall picked up a small hamstring issue at the start of pre-season.
A few of the boys like Jordon Forster were trying to scare me saying it would be sore and I wouldn’t be able to walk afterwards.
To help sort the problem, he headed down south to Leeds for an injection in his back – a procedure Forster and his Dundee team-mates convinced Marshall would leave him paralysed for a time.
Marshall said: “I had a couple of injuries, then I came back pre-season and picked up another small tear in my hamstring.
“I went down to Leeds, got an injection and I feel brand new. It has worked wonders and I feel brilliant.
“The injection was in my back just to release the nerves.
“A few of the boys like Jordon Forster were trying to scare me saying it would be sore and I wouldn’t be able to walk afterwards.
“I believed them! It was preying on my mind when I went in. But it turned out it wasn’t so bad and I am feeling good.
“We had a hard pre-season and even in lockdown we all followed a strict programme. Everyone looks really fit.”