Stephen O’Donnell stood tall the day he captained Clyde to one of the Scottish Cup’s most memorable giant killings and now he wants to cause another upset as a Dundee player.
Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of the Bully Wee’s fourth-round victory over a Celtic side that saw the fixture as the ideal occasion to hand new signing Roy Keane his debut.
It all went horribly wrong for the Hoops as Clyde ran them ragged, having two strikes chalked off before Craig Bryson then Eddie Annand found the net.
The home side could even afford the luxury of an O’Donnell penalty miss sandwiched between their two counters before Maciej Zurawski got a late goal back for the then cup holders.
A Dundee win over the Steelmen today would not be as surprising as the outcome five years ago, but given the Dens men’s administration woes, it would be a fantastic achievement for Barry Smith’s side.
“I captained Clyde when we beat Celtic that was some day,” said O’Donnell. “I also had a penalty saved by Artur Boruc, but I would prefer not to mention that,” he joked.
“Seriously, though, that match was special. It had everything, even Roy Keane making his debut for Celtic.
“I guess that result showed that there can be upsets in the cup when you are least expecting them. Clyde beating Celtic showed that anything can happen in the cup.
“Mind you, Motherwell will be very tough opposition. They have loads of good players and are a well-established SPL side and have been for years.
“They are pushing for a place in the top six every season, or even a place in Europe, so we will have to be at our best to compete with them and at our very best to beat them.
“We believe that if we are playing well on our day then we will have a right good chance. There is a right good feeling about the place in terms of how we are playing and the reaction of the fans.
“So hopefully, we can keep it going and do everyone ourselves and the supporters justice. I expect there to be a great atmosphere and can’t wait to get out there.”Impressive unbeaten recordGiven that the Dark Blues are unbeaten in 10 games and have scored 11 without reply in their last five matches, Motherwell would be forgiven feeling a little bit of trepidation about this trip.
“I don’t think there are many teams who would be too happy about coming up here given the way we have been playing and the feeling there is about the place,” said O’Donnell. “We are playing with a bit of confidence and deservedly so given the results we have achieved.
“Things have been a bit intense over the last wee while here even though the lads have handled things really well throughout.
“The manager has said that we would rather keep the momentum going in the league rather than have a break for the cup but on the other hand this is a game where we have nothing to lose and can go out and enjoy the occasion.”
Nicky Riley is sidelined with a back injury and Steven Robb’s trialist status will not allow him to feature. Johnny Stewart, on loan from Hearts, is to fill in.
Dundee boss Barry Smith said, “There’s no pressure of looking to pick up league points on Sunday so I hope the lads enjoy the occasion and do themselves justice against a good SPL side.”
Meanwhile, Smith last night hit back at Ross County boss Willie McStay for criticising midfielder Craig Forsyth.
The Staggies manager rounded on the Dens Park man for his role in Darren McCormack’s leg break and insisted he should have been sent off instead of just booked.
After watching replays of the incident, Smith is convinced his friend is wrong, and insists it did not even merit a yellow card.
He said, “I know Willie and don’t want to fall out with him but I think he was wrong with what he said about Fozzy.
“I have watched it on the tape. He goes for the ball and wins it. There is no malice in it at all and I didn’t even think it was a booking. Fozzy has spoken to Darren since the game and he said he didn’t think Craig was to blame.
“It was an accident, one of those things and we’re all just wishing him a speedy recovery.”Impressive unbeaten recordGiven that the Dark Blues are unbeaten in 10 games and have scored 11 without reply in their last five matches, Motherwell would be forgiven feeling a little bit of trepidation about this trip.
“I don’t think there are many teams who would be too happy about coming up here given the way we have been playing and the feeling there is about the place,” said O’Donnell. “We are playing with a bit of confidence and deservedly so given the results we have achieved.
“Things have been a bit intense over the last wee while here even though the lads have handled things really well throughout.
“The manager has said that we would rather keep the momentum going in the league rather than have a break for the cup but on the other hand this is a game where we have nothing to lose and can go out and enjoy the occasion.”
Nicky Riley is sidelined with a back injury and Steven Robb’s trialist status will not allow him to feature. Johnny Stewart, on loan from Hearts, is to fill in.
Dundee boss Barry Smith said, “There’s no pressure of looking to pick up league points on Sunday so I hope the lads enjoy the occasion and do themselves justice against a good SPL side.”
Meanwhile, Smith last night hit back at Ross County boss Willie McStay for criticising midfielder Craig Forsyth.
The Staggies manager rounded on the Dens Park man for his role in Darren McCormack’s leg break and insisted he should have been sent off instead of just booked.
After watching replays of the incident, Smith is convinced his friend is wrong, and insists it did not even merit a yellow card.
He said, “I know Willie and don’t want to fall out with him but I think he was wrong with what he said about Fozzy.
“I have watched it on the tape. He goes for the ball and wins it. There is no malice in it at all and I didn’t even think it was a booking. Fozzy has spoken to Darren since the game and he said he didn’t think Craig was to blame.
“It was an accident, one of those things and we’re all just wishing him a speedy recovery.”