As Dundee manager Paul Hartley openly admitted afterwards, his side could have no complaints about Saturday’s result at Kilmarnock.
There was precious little for the 465 Dark Blues fans who had travelled to Rugby Park to shout about with their favourites second best to Lee Clark’s side all afternoon.
Dundee just never got out of first gear and the display was possibly as disappointing as the result.
The midfield struggled all day with danger man Craig Wighton starved of service and it was no surprise to see him subbed in the 72nd minute after what must have been an incredibly-frustrating afternoon for the teenager.
His strike partner Marcus Haber toiled manfully but he is still probably kicking himself for missing a rare opportunity that would have drawn Dundee level when they were just 1-0 down.
However, Kilmarnock fully deserved their win and the Dark Blues need to produce a big response when they play Ross County this coming Saturday at Dens.
With Celtic and Hearts looming large on the horizon, the game against the Staggies is one that falls into the “must-win” category.
Amazingly, Dundee moved up to sixth in the Premiership table before a ball was kicked at Rugby Park due to a better goal difference following Motherwell’s 4-3 loss to Celtic.
However, after the Dark Blues were defeated by Kilmarnock, they finished the day in 10th which just shows how tight the league is and how vitally important wins will prove come the end of the season.
