In this week’s Talking Football, Courier sports writers Ian Roache, Eric Nicolson and Neil Robertson discuss Friday night football and false dawns.
Dundee got the big win they needed. What went right for them against Rangers?
IR: It was a fabulous, freezing cold Friday night at Dens Park and Dundee thoroughly deserved the victory. That pass from Scott Allan for the second goal alone would have been worth the admission price had I not been fortunate enough to have been allowed in for nothing because I was working! Rangers had more possession but were toothless up front, whereas the Dundee players wanted it more.
EN: I’ve had a scan at the next question so I’ll not start speaking about Mark O’Hara yet. The platform for this game was the draw with Kilmarnock the week before. It wasn’t a barn-burner v Killie but on the whole, Dundee looked far more solid. That solidity was there against Rangers once more, with the difference being a bit of Allan and O’Hara stardust. Josh Meekings should also get a mention. Darren O’Dea may be out of this team for a while.
NR: Rangers are nothing short of a shambles just now on and off the park which obviously helped Dundee. However, Neil McCann’s men deserve enormous credit especially after recovering from the hammer blow of the quick-fire Rangers equaliser. Hopefully, this result will do wonders for the Dark Blues’ self-belief.
Mark O’Hara loves playing the Ibrox men, having scored four times against them in three games at Dens. It is odd how certain opponents suit certain players, is it not?
IR: No one was more aware of O’Hara’s scoring exploits against Rangers than the player himself and he talked himself up to the management before the game. You wonder if it was that positive thinking that spurred him on to make those runs and finish as well as he did, not once but twice.
EN: There aren’t many teams who like to face a strong-running midfielder whose energy levels never drop. You often see them coming up with late goals when lesser athletes start fading or switching off. He would always be in any Dundee team I was picking and I suspect McCann will be of a similar mind now that he’s seen the O’Hara of the first half of last season for himself.
NR: Rangers must be fed up of the sight of O’Hara. The 21-year-old has been in and out of the starting XI so far his season as McCann tries to integrate all his new signings – after his Friday night heroics it’s fair to say he should be one of the first names on the team sheet.
The Dark Blues have a tough one coming up away to Ross County on Saturday. Can they keep the momentum going?
IR: This is the big question. While a point in Dingwall is never a bad return, what a message it would send to their rivals if they could win that game! What the Rangers result has done is turned a fixture fans would have been dreading into one they might fancy.
EN: I’d take a draw. It would keep the momentum going. Pick the same team, put the onus on Ross County to break them down and then throw Scott Allan on again when the game is opening up to try and nick the win.
NR: Ross County have lost five times on their home patch in the league so far this season which shows it is far from a happy hunting ground for Owen Coyle’s side. However, Dundee have yet to secure back-to-back wins in this campaign so mystic Robertson sees Saturday’s game ending up a draw.
By contrast to Dundee’s Friday night delight, it was rather grim at the Glebe for Dundee United. Did anyone see that result coming?
IR: I take it this question is aimed at me… I’m big enough and ugly enough to handle the stick so mea culpa. The tin hat is well and truly on after my bold (rash) prediction last week that United would power on to the title after that Falkirk victory. The crystal ball is now hidden away in the cupboard.
EN: Ian wasn’t the only one who thought United were about to take a grip of the title race. I actually think they still will. Mind you, it’s a testing run of fixtures they’ve got now so that was definitely two points dropped in Angus.
NR: I certainly didn’t, especially after the first 45 minutes at the Glebe with United absolutely dominant. The second half was a different matter and it was worrying from a United viewpoint just how much the early Brechin equaliser took the wind out of their sails.
How can the Tangerines go from giving Falkirk a pasting to hanging on for a point against Brechin in just six days?
IR: I have no idea. That’s why I should stop making daft predictions.
EN: Certainly there seems to be no middle ground with United. They’re either very good or rotten (sometimes in one game).
NR: Whoa! Instead of concentrating on perceived United weaknesses, let’s give a huge pat on the back to Brechin boss Darren Dods and his players. By their own admission, they turned the second half into a cup tie, pressing their table-topping opponents and making full use of playing down the hill. The fact that they could have snatched all three points right at the death, speaks volumes for the part-time side.
Was there anyone outside the referees’ room or Celtic dressing room at Hampden who thought the “challenge” on Scott Sinclair was worthy of a penalty and red card?
IR: I don’t wish to demean Celtic’s achievement – they are far and away the best side in the country and will be for many moons to come – but I switched over to the Man City match when that “penalty” was given. It ruined the final and I felt sorry for the Motherwell players, management and, especially, fans.
EN: It was the wrong call – on both counts – but the blame should go to Sinclair for cheating rather than entering into any refereeing conspiracy theories.
NR: No.
