Dundee’s win at Motherwell is a huge moment for the Dark Blues this season.
The pressure was on, they needed to show their mettle after a poor run of results.
Conceding far too many soft goals was becoming a real Achilles heel for the Dee.
It’s clear they put a lot of work into sorting out their defence over the international break.
The satisfaction at seeing the work pay off on the pitch on a Saturday will be huge for Tony Docherty.
There will be 100s and 1000s of coaches around the world who work so, so hard on aspects of their team through the week but then see absolutely no sign of it on a Saturday.
Not only did Docherty see it but it was effective, too.
There’s no better feeling as a coach.
Extra pressure
It’s huge credit to the players, too, for putting that all into action at Motherwell.
Because the manager and the players had been clear to everyone that they had been working on things.
That brings more pressure in itself to actually see that in action.
But the Dee rose to the pressure and came away with a very, very good win.
This wasn’t, though, a backs-to-the-wall performance where they just held out
and grabbed a goal on the break.
Docherty called it a complete away performance and that’s exactly what it was. Going forward they created plenty and should have scored more.
However, the defensive side of things will give everyone at Dens Park a huge boost.
Experience counts
I don’t think it’s any surprise to see the difference a bit of experience made to the side.
That was a win achieved with a spine that included Trevor Carson, Clark Robertson, Scott Fraser and the front two of Simon Murray and Curtis Main.
There’s some serious knowhow there and it showed.
There were some big calls for Tony Docherty to make but it shows the confidence he has in himself to go ahead and do that.
It would have been easy to stick with Jon McCracken for this game.
But Docherty made the call and it paid off, like his other changes.
I’ve no doubt McCracken will be fizzing to be left out, even if only on the inside.
He’ll be gutted.
Now the gauntlet has been laid at his feet to do everything he possibly can in training to regain his spot.
St Johnstone decisions
That’s exactly what the manager will want to see – he wants 17, 18, 19 players going all out in training to get into that team.
He wants to have to make difficult decisions every Saturday.
And he’s got that now for next weekend’s Premiership clash with St Johnstone.
Mo Sylla is obviously back from his suspension but does he just automatically come back into the team now?
When Scott Fraser, Fin Robertson and Lyall Cameron played so well at Fir Park?
A welcome headache ahead of yet another big game to come.
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