3 Dundee talking points from Lech Poznan clash – how did new signings and trialist fare in the Polish heat?

Seb Palmer-Houlden’s first goal in Dundee colours saw the Dark Blues fight back to claim a draw against eight-time Polish champions Lech Poznan.

The sun was beating down on Stadion Akademii, Lech Poznan’s impressive youth facility in the town of Wronki, 60km north west of Poznan.

Temperatures reached 30 degrees Celsius with fans in the stand keen to bag a seat in the shade.

The heat was turned up and so was the quality of opposition.

The Railwaymen dominated the first-half but only had one goal to show for it.

Their main man Mikael Ishak, a Swedish international, opened the scoring on 29 minutes after the hosts cut through the Dundee defence.

Joel Pereira then struck the post from a free-kick and Jon McCracken made a fine save to deny Adriel Ba Loua as the Dark Blues hung on until the break.

Half-time saw four Dundee changes and an entire new XI for the hosts.

The changes boosted the visitors and immediately the chances came with goalkeeper Bartosz Mrozek pulling off three saves before Seb Palmer-Houlden levelled things on 58 minutes.

The on-loan striker won the ball himself from the defence before firing a super low finish beyond the goalie.

Late on, Charlie Reilly sent in a testing cross from the left with Mrozek pushing the ball just beyond Zak Rudden at the far post.

Poznan’s Dino Hotic then had the chance to win the game after McCracken gave the ball away on the edge of his own area but the attacker chipped over the bar.

And the two sides settled for a 1-1 draw in the Polish sun.

Courier Sport was in Poland to analyse all the action from Wronki.

Ethan Ingram

New signing Ethan Ingram – a former international team-mate of Germany star Jamal Musiala –  made his first appearance for the Dark Blues.

Early on he looked rusty. A swerving high ball wouldn’t have been his ideal choice of the first pass to receive but his chest control was pounced upon by the home side.

He did, though, work his way into the game and created the best opening for Dundee in the first half with a driving run from the right flank.

Fin Robertson’s low cross from the other side couldn’t find a team-mate in the middle, however.

Later in the half, Ingram burst past his man, looked like he’d lost it, but overpowered his marker and sent in a cross for Curtis Main to flick just wide.

Having only had one day’s worth of training prior to the game, Ingram was replaced at half-time.

But showed flashes of quality in his first run-out.

Alex Rodriguez Gorrin

Dundee’s trialist impressed in the midweek win over Banik Ostrava, coming off the bench to replace Mo Sylla in the holding midfield role.

This, though, was a far sterner test.

The Dark Blues struggled to build any possession through the midfield in the opening 45 and Gorrin was unable to get on the ball.

Combative in the middle of the park, the Spaniard gave away a couple of fouls but also caught a late one midway through the first half.

And he took a sore one just after half-time, winded after a heavy collision with his opposite number.

Helped by the physical presence of Mo Sylla in the second period, the Dark Blues took control of the midfield battle.

Seb Palmer-Houlden

The on-loan Bristol City man had the chance to blow off the cobwebs at Arbroath last Saturday before stepping things up from the start against Banik Ostrava.

Now he’s stepped it up even further with a fine first goal in Dundee colours.

Moments before he’d been fed by a clever reverse ball by McCowan but saw his left-foot effort well saved.

He made no mistake with the right foot. Dundee’s press was good – something Palmer-Houlden adds to –  and it was the striker himself who dispossessed the defender.

Twenty-five yards out, the striker set it out of his feet and arrowed a low effort beyond the goalkeeper and into the corner.

A key moment for any striker at a new club, Palmer-Houlden is off the mark and Dundee continue pre-season unbeaten.

Teams

Dundee (3-5-2): McCracken, Astley, McGhee (Reilly 68), Portales (Graham 46), Ingram (Kerr 46), F Robertson, Trialist, McCowan (Anderson 72), Cameron (Sylla 46), Palmer-Houlden (Rudden 68), Main (Tiffoney 46).

Subs not used: Legzdins, Sharp, Lochhead, Mulligan, Corrigan, Richardson.

Lech Poznan (first half, 3-5-2): Bednarek, Pereira, Pingot, Milic, Andersson, Kozubal, Sousa, Ba Loua, Marchwinski, Antczak, Ishak.

Lech Poznan (second half): Mrozek, Borowski, Monka, Tomaszewski, Gurgul, Murawski, Karlstrom, Hotic, Gholizadeh, Velde, Szymczak.