Deal For Young Kyle, And Shinnie Joins On Loan..

Dundee manager Jocky Scott has rewarded teenage defender Kyle Benedictus with a new contract after his promotion to the top team. The 16-year-old has played in three matches since Scott took over at the end of October. It will stop other clubs from stealing him, and gives everyone at the club a lift. Hopefully his injury is not too bad and is back in a few weeks. Meanwhile Rangers reserve midfielder Andrew Shinnie (below)is to join Dundee on a loan deal until January. The 19-year-old made two first team appearances for the Ibrox club last year, both as a late substitute. And Shinnie was captain of Rangers' Under-19 side that won the league and cup double last season. A good boost for the midfield, and looks like he could add some goals. Andy will arrive this Monday for training. Colin McMenamin has joined in for some ball work in training , and will step it up next week. We have missed him over the last few games. Things are looking up and the squad are getting back to full strength.

Dundee 2 Queen of the South 0, Dens Park, First Division, 15/November/08

Dundee knew they could win from the outset and did so with goals from Eric Paton, against his former team, and Bryan Deasley. It may have been different if Steven Tosh had opened the scoring after eight minutes when Sean O'Connor found him with a low cross but the evergreen midfielder knocked his shot beyond the post from a matter of yards. Kyle Benedictus, playing his third game at the age of 16, almost scored four minutes later when he connected with Freddy Daquin's corner but the ball rebounded back off the crossbar. Dundee had to replace Benedictus early in the second half after the youngster slumped to the turf with a serious-looking calf problem. Jim Lauchlan, who has been injured since the summer, came on to make his debut. The hosts went ahead on 64 minutes following appeals for a penalty after Pozniak was fouled on the edge of the area. Paton stepped up to curl the free-kick over the wall and into net. Eleven minutes from time Mickael Antoine-Curier laid the ball in perfectly for Deasley, who slammed a shot home from close range to seal the points.
Dundee - Douglas, Paton, Malone, McKeown, Benedictus, Williams, Pozniak, Daquin, Curier, Deasley, O'Brien Subs – Gilhaney, Dodds, Davidson, Roy.
Referee – Dougie McDonald
Attendance - 3,630
A massive result and makes the next game at home against St.Johnstone vital, cause it will be one we need to win to cut the gap to 5 points.
My man of the Match: Chris Pozniak

Dunfermline Ath 0 Dundee 1, First Division, East End Park, 08/Nov/08

Dundee started brightly enough, striker Bryan Deasley working his way into the Pars' penalty box only to be thwarted by a last-gasp challenge from Woods. The ball then broke to David O'Brien who got in his shot only to see it blocked by Greg Shields. Dunfermline, however, were robbed of the lead in the 13th minute.A Kevin Harper corner from the right was delivered into the path of Stephen Glass and the midfielder let fly with a left foot drive from 20 yards out which smacked off the post with former Celtic goalkeeper Rab Douglas beaten.Second later, Harper took another corner from the right, which was met perfectly by the boot of Glass and fairly whistled by the Douglas' left-hand post.Dunfermline were enjoying the majority of the play and there was a further anxious moment for Dundee's defence when Irish striker Andy Kirk's free kick just outside the box came off the Dens rearguard wall and quick-as-a-flash, Woods pounced only to see his net bound shot pushed away by Douglas.In a clever down on the right. Harper found Nicky Phinn and the midfielder sent in an inviting ball for Kirk, but it fell awkwardly and he could only drill his effort wide of the target.It was proving a hard day at the office for Dundee with Mickael Antoine-Curier and the smaller figure of Deasley unable to get the service required to trouble Dunfermline goalkeeper Paul Gallacher although the team were defending resolutely.The second half started with a thumping clash of heads involving Eddie Malone and Harper although, thankfully, it turned out to be nothing serious.Dundee fans appealed for a penalty for handball after ex-Dunfermline player Freddie Daquin's corner came off Dunfermline skipper Scott Wilson, but referee Stevie O'Reilly was having none of it.On the hour mark, Dunfermline front man Graham Bayne knocked the ball down for Kirk but, under close scrutiny from Kyle Benedictus, his scrambled drive went over the top.The Fifers made their first change, Scott Muirhead coming on for Austin McCann, and the move almost paid instant dividends as a left foot drive from Kirk looked destined for the corner of the net until Douglas somehow got his hand to the ball. The home supporters were now sensing the all-important breakthrough although Dundee continued to stand firm against a determined attack.Then, in the 68th minute, Dunfermline were left reeling when Dundee hit them with a sucker-punch goal. Deasley threaded the ball through to Antoine-Curier who found himself in the clear and he made the most of the opportunity, running through before cooly slotting the ball past Gallacher. In fact Antoine-Curier should have made it 2-0 in injury time , when he rounded Gallagher in the pars goal, but was forced too wide and his pass was put wide by Bob Davidson. But a massive 3 points for the Dark Blues..

Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, Williams, Benedictus, McKeown, Daquin, Posniak, Antoine-Curier, Deasley (Davidson 82), O'Brien. Subs Not Used: Lauchlan, Mearns, Gilhaney, Roy.
Booked: Paton.
Att: 3,506
Ref: S O'Reilly

Farningham And Smith back at Dens Park....

Dundee manager Jocky Scott, back at Dens Park, has appointed Ray Farningham as his assistant. Farningham was previously assistant to Jim Duffy at Dens Park. He has been out of football since losing his job as international scout with Gretna when the Borders club went into administration. Jocky Scott's first game in charge of Dundee ended in a 1-1 draw to Airdrie. Meanwhile, former club captain Barry Smith also makes a return to Dens Park after leaving the club in May 2006. Smith, who moved from Celtic to Dundee in 1995, joins Jocky Scott's backroom team as head of Youth Development. He will replace Paul Ritchie who has left the club.

Dundee 1 Airdrie Und 1, Dens Park, First Division, 01/November/08

JOCKY SCOTT was greeted like a returning hero when he walked out at Dens Park for his third spell as manager yesterday but Airdrie prevented the veteran manager from a fairytale start to this latest chapter of his career. A goal from Simon Lynch after 11 minutes gave the Diamonds the lead and they could have scored another four had it not been for striker Paul Di Giacomo's series of misses. But they could not manage to get the ball into the net and a half-time chat from manager Scott pumped Dundee up for the second half, a 45 minutes in which they showed battling qualities sorely lacking in recent weeks. Mickael Antoine-Curier grabbed the equaliser on 66 minutes, showing his new boss that there is something to work with at Dens. Scott pulled a few pre-match selection surprises. Kyle Benedictus, a 16-year-old defender, was drafted in from the youth set-up while ex-Hearts player Eddie Mearns came in for his first start. Bryan Deasley was also given a rare start in attack alongside Antoine-Curier. Benedictus was lucky that his first stint in top-team football was not marred by conceding a penalty kick after just four minutes when, having misjudged a bounce, he appeared to bundle into the back of Lynch inside the box. With even Dundee's players expecting referee Chris Boyle to award a penalty kick, the official awarded a free-kick the other way. Dundee were equally fortunate on nine minutes when a cross which evaded Rab Douglas cracked off the bar but fell perfectly for Di Giacomo. A goal looked a certainty but he somehow nodded over from two yards. Dundee's luck did not hold, though, and they eventually fell behind on 11 minutes to a stunning goal from Lynch. The Dark Blues failed to clear their lines, allowing a cross from the left to reach the striker at the back post and he dispatched a sensational half-volley into the top corner from 10 yards. Scott's side almost equalised on 25 minutes when, following Darren Williams' header into the box, Craig McKeown looked to have beaten Stephen Robertson but the keeper plucked the ball away with one hand. The danger was not averted, though, as it trundled out to Antoine-Curier who, in turn, poked it back in but just as the ball looked set to squirm over the line, Airdrie's defence managed to boot clear. Airdrie should have punished Dundee just before the interval when a neat interchange between Lynch and Di Giacomo gave the latter a sight of goal at the back post. However, he snatched at his effort, with McKeown bearing down on him, sending it flashing past the post. Lynch forced Douglas into a save only 60 seconds later, playing on the shoulder of Benedictus before trying to lob the keeper but he got a hand to it. Dundee should have made more of a dead ball on the edge of the area, after Kevin McDonald fouled Mearns, but Eddie Malone slapped the free-kick off the defensive wall. Mearns set up a great chance for Antoine-Curier on 60 minutes but the striker couldn't edge in ahead of a defender to meet the cross. He atoned for that on 66 minutes, though, as Dundee ground out the equaliser. A header into the penalty area from McKeown was intelligently left by Deasley and it ran through for Antoine-Curier, who lashed a shot beyond Robertson. The striker had another chance at the end but could not beat Robertson to Mearns' through ball and watched the keeper gobble the ball up.
Dundee: Douglas, Posniak, Malone, McKeown, Benedictus, Williams, Daquin (Davidson 78), Mearns, Antoine-Curier, Deasley (Gilhaney 79), O'Brien. Subs Not Used: Roy, Lauchlan, Manzie.
Att: 3,456
Ref: C Boyle
A good start for Jocky Scott, A much better second half performance with Dunfermline, Queen of the South and St.Johnstone in the next 3 games, it will make or break our season.