Dundee’s Jordan McGhee is gutted to miss out on a League Cup semi-final place after a gutsy display at Rangers.
However, he insists there was enough about the performance from the Dark Blues at Ibrox to boost their league campaign.
Last season’s Europa League finalists were restricted to very few opportunities in Wednesday’s quarter-final by a stoic Dundee defence.
McGhee admits that’s not always been the case for the Dee this season with cheap goals proving costly in the early stages of the campaign.
‘Emptied the tank’
Now he’s keen to see Dundee take the positives from the display in midweek into Saturday’s home Championship clash with Greenock Morton.
“We were disappointed even though it’s a tough place to go,” McGhee said of the 1-0 loss at Ibrox.
“The boys emptied the tank and gave everything. There were a couple of half-chances that we could have taken on another day.
“We knew before the game how difficult it was going to be. But the fact the boys were gutted after the game is a bit pleasing I suppose.
“Rangers have top players. They can cut most teams open whenever they want but the game plan worked to an extent.
“I know we conceded, but we limited them to half-chances and ricochets in the box and corners.
“That has to be pleasing for us.
“Obviously it has been a recurring problem this season; giving goals away.
“To go to a place like Ibrox and do that is pleasing.”
‘Kick on’
After a 10th-minute Steven Davis goal, the expectation from the home crowd was that more goals would come.
However, Dundee stood up to the challenge after the disappointment of conceding.
And McGhee says that bodes well for the return to league action this weekend.
“I looked around and the boys still looked up for it,” he added.
“Sometimes you come to places like Ibrox or Parkhead and once the first goal goes in you can capitulate.
“The boys did not do that. They stuck to their task and the game plan.
“As I said, it is just disappointing not to take that chance to get to Hampden.
“But we knew it was going to be a tough task against this Rangers team.
“Saturday is a big game now, Morton at home. A completely different test.
“We need to stand up to it and kick on now.”
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