Forfar Ath 0 Dundee 1, Station Park, Friendly, 28/July/09.

Dundee won 1-0 at Forfar thanks to a Gary Harkins goal in the 75th minute, the midfielder scored from a free kick. Match report : http://www.thedees.co.uk/news_detail.asp?ID=2799 I missed the two last games due to work.

Arbroath 1 Dundee 1, Gayfield, Friendly, 27/July/09.

Dundee were held to a 1-1 draw against Arbroath at Gayfield last night. Paul Lunan gave the Lichties the lead after 63 minutes.However, their advantage was short-lived as Mikael Antoine-Curier netted for the visitors shortly after and despite some heavy pressure Arbroath hung on for a deserved draw.
Dundee: Bullock, Casement, Forsyth, McHale, Benedictus, Lauchlan (Timmons), Hart, Paton, Higgins, Cameron, Curier. Subs not used: Gray, Stark, Webster, Geddes.

Match report : http://www.thedees.co.uk/news_detail.asp?ID=2796 Meanwhile striker Bryan Deasley has went out on loan to Forfar for the rest of the season.

Dundee 1 Aberdeen 1, Dens Park, Friendly, 25/July/09.

Aberdeen got off to a belter of a start. Pace is the one thing the Pittodrie boss says the current squad has in abundance, so it was fitting that they were so quick off the mark. Only 13 seconds had elapsed when Stuart Duff played in Sone Aluko and he slotted the ball beyond Rab Douglas.If it was a bright start, it was also a bit of a false dawn. The game didn't exactly fizz into a frenzy. As is so often the case at such an embryonic stage of the season the play struggled to find any kind of urgency and a European tie seemed a million miles away. Dundee played their way back into it, putting the Aberdeen defence under pressure in the 21st minute. Andrew Considine could not get the ball cleared and having obstructed all-comers as he sought a lifetime to clear from the edge of his own box was eventually penalised, the referee awarding an indirect free-kick on the perimeter of the 18-yard box. Richie Hart touched it into the path of Eric Paton and he drilled it low into the bottom corner. Aberdeen had the opportunity to move ahead again a couple of minutes before half-time when Lee Miller was brought down in the box. But the striker's penalty was poor and Douglas saved.The second half started with Dundee manager Jocky Scott demonstrating the strength and depth he now has after a summer of transfer activity. He made nine changes, leaving just Eddie Malone and Hart from the starting line-up, and it allowed for a little bit of history with the Young brothers lining up against each other for the first time. Derek had begun the match for Aberdeen and was marshalling the same midfield area as his brother Darren after the interval. Dundee later switched Hart for Mickael Antoine Courier, while Aberdeen also shuffled things around. Darren Mackie got to stretch his legs, while Faoroese defender Rogvi Holme was also given an outing along with youngsters Sammy Stewart and Scott Ross.The changes gave the home side greater impetus and what little goalmouth action that came along after the break was courtesy of the First Division side. Craig Forsyth, cutting in from wide left of the Dundee midfield, bore down on Jamie Langfield's goal but the keeper was out to cut the angle and block the shot.It is a warning for the rest of the First Division and adds credence to the Dens Park side's status as one of the early favourites for promotion. But it is also a gentle warning for Aberdeen. They have bigger things to focus on this week and will have to raise their play accordingly.

Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, McHale, McKeown, Benedictus, Hart, Kerr, McMenamin, Desley, Harkins.

I thought all the new players done well, and it's great we were able to field 2 different team nearly, I'm looking forward to the new season.

Borussia Monchengladbach 2 Dundee FC 0, 22/July/09

Dundee lost 2-0 to German side Borussia Monchengladbach, manager Jocky Scott was happy with the way Dundee played. Click on link for match report: http://www.thedees.co.uk/news_detail.asp?ID=2786

FC Augsburg 2 Dundee FC 0, 21/July/09

Dundee lost 2-0 to German side FC Augsburg, the game played in Austria. Click on link to read match report: http://www.thedees.co.uk/news_detail.asp?ID=2783

Latest From Dens Park..

Dundee will play Royal Antwerp at Dens Park to finish their pre-season buildup.The Belgians will visit Dens Park on Monday, August 3. Royal Antwerp narrowly missed out on promotion to the Belgian First Division last season. Having finished third top of division two they safely negotiated the knock-out stage of the play-offs. But with Belgium’s top flight being reduced to 16 teams this term there was then a four-club round-robin competition for just one place and they lost out. Late news: Goalkeeper RabDouglas flew back to Scotland yesterday in search of a cure for an achilles tendon problem. Douglas left Dundee’s training camp in Uttendorf at lunchtime, aiming to make a hastily arranged appointment with a specialist in Edinburgh late last night. It’s not thought the complaint is serious but the Dark Blues decided to move swiftly in dealing with it in order to minimise the extent to which the players’ preparations for the new season might be disrupted. Meanwhile Dundee’s line up for the match v FC Augsburg will be: Bullock, Cowan, Malone, MacKenzie, Benedictus, Kerr, McHale, Young, Hart, McMenamin, Forsyth.
Tonight’s opponents are from the second Bundesliga, where for the past two years they have only narrowly avoided relegation.

Austrian Update...

Dundee arrived safely in Austria and got good training session's in on Friday. But torrential rain and thunder and lightning storms swept the Alps, Saturdays game against FC Hallwang was cancelled. With the downpoar the Dark Blues could not do the training they had planned. But the good news is on Monday they are back to their schedule. And now they will play in a glamour clash with top German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday. There will be plenty of opportunity now for the players to see action, and tomorrow’s clash with FC Augsburg means there will be two games in 24 hours before the squad fly home on Thursday to make ready for Aberdeen’s visit to Dens on Saturday. After his injury problems, defender Chris Casement will not be ready for either of the two midweek outings, but he has resumed full training and that’s a bonus. Goalkeeper Rab Douglas is feeling a calf and that’s restricting his work, but he is not causing concern.

Mickael Antoine-Curier Interview Clip..

Concacaf Video Video Features Video Features

Click on Video to see interview with Dundee FC striker Mickael Antoine-Curier (No 11) ahead of Guadeloupe playing Nicaragua later tonight.

Pre Season Games

Dundee will play FC Augsburgh in Austria on 21st of July, followed by games v Aberdeen at (Home) 25/July. Then Arbroath (Away) 27/July, followed by Forfar (Away) 28/July.

Dundee Sign Gary Harkins

Dundee FC have completed the signing of midfielder Gary Harkins from Partick Thistle for a fee of about £150,000. The 24-year-old, who scored 11 goals last season, had a year of his contract to run with the Glasgow club. Gary has signed a three year deal, it's a very good signing for the club, which will get the fans excited about next season. I'm really looking forward to next season.
More on the story below:
http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2009/07/02/story13395033t0.shtm