The delay between Dundee’s penalty award against Hibs on Sunday and Kevin Holt stepping forward to hammer it home could have had the conspiracy theorists suspecting he was a reluctant taker.
But the big left-back has a much simpler, and more amusing, explanation for what took him so long before firing the goal that earned the Dark Blues their first Premiership point of the season.
“Out on the pitch I actually forgot I was taking it, that’s why there was a wee wait before I stepped up,” revealed the 24-year-old with a sheepish smile.
“After Scotty (Allan) missed down at Hamilton the other week, we had a wee discussion. When the manager asked me, I was happy enough to take them.”
There follows another revelation, for, despite being the team’s free-kick specialist for the past couple of seasons and the fact he slotted Sunday’s kick right into the corner, it’s the first time he can recall taking a penalty.
“It’s my first penalty, I think. I’m sure it’s the first time I’ve ever hit one and I certainly never took any for Queen of the South.
“I’ve been confident enough to hit one but there’s always been a striker who was confident as well, so I’ve left it to them.
“I was happy to take it and, when I was stepping up, I knew where I was going to hit it and, from there, it’s just having belief in yourself.”
If he was happy with that first spot-kick, Holt admits he was disappointed at not giving Dundee a two-goal lead when presented with a header right in front of goal.
He admits had he converted then, that first point could have been three.
“I was disappointed, I was falling back when I reached it.
“I was trying to get it back across the goalie but it needed a bit more power.”
For Holt and his team-mates, the main thing was to make sure they went into the break with something on the board and off the bottom of the table.
In that sense it was a case of job done and, when hostilities resume next week, Holt is looking for the team to kick on.
“Sunday was one of the worst games we’ve played and we came away with our first point.
“I think the main thing is that we dug in and got the point.
“Results like that can change your season and, especially with us starting the game at the bottom, it was important to get something going.
“Hopefully, we’ll get a few players fit during the break and then come back and try to start building some wins.
“We’ve been unlucky in terms of the amount of injuries we’ve had, especially among the strikers. You saw against Hibs we had to use Gowser (Paul McGowan) up front.
“As well as the strikers, we have Darren O’Dea and Josh Meekings to come back.”
Looking back to Sunday, Holt admits it would be remiss to not pay tribute to keeper Scott Bain, whose performance earned that point.
“Scott is what he is, he’s a great goalie and I think he’s been showing that for a while. Since I’ve come in he’s had numerous games like that.
“I don’t think he gets as many clean sheets as he deserves but that’s down to us as a team. He does his job and we should be doing ours.
“He’s been involved in the Scotland set-up and I think he’s playing as well just now as when he’s been in before.
“I don’t know how the other goalies are doing but they must be doing well to be ahead of Scott.”
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