Dundee’s Genseric Kusunga admits he was delighted to net his third goal of the season against Hearts on Wednesday – especially as this time it didn’t count against his own side.
The big Angolan defender produced a superb performance against the Jam Tarts, scoring the opener in the 2-1 victory while constantly putting his body on the line at the back.
The 30-year-old’s goal came after he won possession in the home half before embarking on a great run into the box, slotting past Hearts keeper Colin Doyle with the help of an Andrew Nelson assist.
Previously this season, Kusunga had put through his own net on two occasions against Killie and Hibs and while he was relieved to finally right those wrongs, he insisted the most important thing was the three points that lifted Dundee off the foot of the Premiership table.
He said: “Sometimes you have to take a risk and I just decided to go and I scored. In training I do it all the time.
“It was nice to score at the right end of the pitch!
“The manager doesn’t like it when I go forward like that but that’s normal.
“We are bottom of the league so I have to do my job as a defender first and foremost. Sometimes I can give something more and I did that against Hearts but my role is as a defender.
“I hope I can score many more goals and we can win many more games but the most important thing was we won the game.
“We are happy now but we have to stay focused because we have another big game on Saturday.”
When asked if he felt the Hearts result would be a turning point in Dundee’s season, Kusunga was not too sure.
But one thing he was certain of was that Dundee cannot let their performance levels fall below the ones they set at Hearts and they have to do it all again against Motherwell at Dens tomorrow.
He added: “Every game is different. That’s why we have to stay focused because Saturday is another game, another team. Football is always different.
“But a result like this helps us believe. We have to believe – we have a lot of games left to play.
“Sometimes when we play against teams who want to play against us it is different. It was like when we played against Rangers.
“We have to try and play like that in every game.
“But Motherwell is a different team, they play long balls, second balls, and press so it will be completely different.
“But we have to play with the same passion we had against Hearts.
“Our job is to defend and we did that well. We need to keep going now.”
Despite the vital victory at Tynecastle, Dundee’s position in the league remains a precarious one but Kusunga is convinced that come the end of the season, the Dark Blues will still be a Premiership side.
He added: “We know every game is like a final.
“I am sure we will stay in this league – we have to believe that.
“We can’t think next season we might be in the Championship.
“We just need to concentrate on winning our next game and we will stay in this division, I am sure.
“Every day in training I see the quality we have. But sometimes it is different in training to how we play.
“We just have to do the same things in games that we do in training.”
