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GEORGE CRAN: Dundee have set themselves the standard required – keep up Ayr levels and Dee will win the title

Ryan Sweeney celebrates his opening goal against Ayr. Image: SNS.
Ryan Sweeney celebrates his opening goal against Ayr. Image: SNS.

Dundee in 2023 have been waiting for something to kickstart their Championship title charge.

Form has been more down than up since the turn of the year, victories in short supply in league games.

But all a team needs is one match where it clicks and suddenly they are off and running.

The Dark Blues might just have had that last night at Dens Park.

They were excellent from the first whistle against Ayr United.

The Honest Men had some chances, particularly in the first half, but we saw the kind of Dundee performance we’ve been expecting all season.

Jak and Zach in attack

Fans have been calling for Alex Jakubiak to partner Zach Robinson up front.

Alex Jakubiak celebrates with Zach Robinson after the two combined to put Dundee in front. Image: SNS.

Their wish was granted by manager Bowyer and the front two showed exactly why there has been a clamour to get the pair together on the park.

Back in February they combined brilliantly to rip Cove Rangers apart and the second goal last night was almost a carbon copy.

Robinson doing great work to free up the space and then laying in his strike partner to finish.

If those two keep that up, not many teams in this division can live with them.

Up and down

It was a really enjoyable game to watch – put Saturday’s clash at Firhill and this one at Dens side by side and you’d have no idea it was the same level of football.

Dundee’s performance against Ayr was the difference of night and day to a really poor afternoon at Partick Thistle.

That up and down nature to their performances is something they just have to avoid between now and the end of the season.

Consistency counts for everything now in a title race.

Jordan McGhee appeals for a penalty. Image: SNS.

Dundee have been lucky that their inconsistency this term hasn’t been properly punished by any of the other teams in the division.

Now, though, it’s time to kick into gear.

The problem they have now is they don’t have the opportunity to follow it up immediately.

Momentum is a wonderful thing in football but there’s little chance of that when you have to wait 10 days for the next game.

Queen’s Park could easily be seven points clear again by that point.

Pressure

But they do have 10 days now to enjoy one of the best nights of the campaign.

And the entire squad will have been given a lift after that display.

To a man, they were on it.

Everyone excelled, from front to back.

Dundee fans enjoyed their night. Image: David Young/Shutterstock

The strike pairing get the headlines but the likes of Luke McCowan, Jordan McGhee and Lee Ashcroft really did deliver when they needed to.

Pressure was on and the display and result was badly needed.

Just imagine if things had gone pear-shaped last night, Ayr win and Dundee’s hopes of the title evaporate and the boos ring out at Dens.

Instead, Dundee’s players have injected real life into their campaign and belief among the fans.

Amazing what one performance can do.

It can’t just be a one-time deal, however.

Perform like that week in, week out between now and May and Dundee will win this title.

It’s up to the Dark Blues now to meet the standard they’ve set themselves.

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