Dundee’s Premiership enthusiasm couldn’t be dampened by the heavens opening at Dens Park.
Torrential rain poured ahead of kick off, it poured through the 90 minutes and even threatened the entire match itself.
But the game made it to the end and left a fair amount to be happy about for the Dark Blues.
Victory wouldn’t come but Tony Docherty’s side showed some mettle in coming back to draw 1-1.
But what did we learn from the clash with Motherwell?
Drenched Dens
Around 11.30am there was some doubt the game would even go ahead.
The corner in front of the South Enclosure was flooded – an issue all the way down on Dens Road that backs up to the stadium when heavy rain falls.
But the huge efforts of the club groundstaff led by Brian and Brian Robertson got the game on.
Rain fell around an hour before kick off, bringing more work with the spades and brushes.
Bit of concern over one of the corners at Dens Park – the Brians hard at work but drainage always an issue over there
More rain forecast as well ☔
Rest of the surface looking pitch perfect
Tyler French and Charlie Reilly doing a bit of training on the near side pic.twitter.com/HXeeOEdhzz
— George Cran (@di_cranio) August 5, 2023
Then as soon as the referee’s whistle went, the downpour began again.
As the play raged on on the park, the work continued to keep the water at bay.
A huge effort.
Luke McCowan
Lyall Cameron grabbed the headlines and rightly so after his first Premiership goal.
But the man who laid the goal on a plate put in a fine performance.
Used in an unfamiliar right wing-back role, McCowan was a constant menace for the Motherwell backline.
Bright and enterprising, the 25-year-old is determined to show he can cut it at Premiership level.
And he could easily have had a goal of his own but for the near post.
Post truth
McCowan’s strike off the post was joined by a deflected Cameron cross that struck both posts and somehow stayed out.
And it’s those moments that led manager Docherty to feel hard done by in only coming away with a single point.
They also had one cleared off the line by Blair Spittal.
There wasn’t a huge amount between the teams throughout but Dundee had more chances
That being said the impressive Lennon Miller was inches away from winning the game late on, Joe Shaughnessy diverting the fierce effort wide of the post with a brilliant diving header.
The key thing for the Dark Blues was this contest did not look like a Premiership v Championship contest.
They looked the part of a top-flight side and better days will come once the 12 new signings have bedded in.
Handball?
VAR was at Dens Park, plenty of money put into the technology but no checks took place all game.
Even when Motherwell defender Dan Casey put his hand on the ball in the box. Not just once but twice.
Dundee had just seen a good chance go begging with Zach Robinson firing straight at goalkeeper Liam Kelly.
Talking of pens…… pic.twitter.com/PFSkXlbGNP
— ᗰᗩᖇK ᗰOᒪᒪOY (@MarkMolloy82) August 5, 2023
In congratulating Kelly, Casey handled the ball.
By the laws of the game “It is an offence if a player deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball”.
Now the question is whether you could class the move as deliberate or accidental, the weirdness of the incident probably puts it in the accidental category.
But VAR didn’t check it which raises a question in itself – why not?
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