Latest News from Dens...

Dundee will play Airdrie United at Dens Park on Sunday with a 3pm kick-off. The fixture was swapped after it was clear New Broomfield would not be playable on Saturday. Common sense has been used this time, however their will be a 10am pitch inspection, but hope all the hard work gets rewarded. Well done to the fans who gave up their time to clear the snow and ice outside the stands, a job well done.

Dundee have been linked with various players, Willo Flood, Pedro Moutiho, Ryan Stevenson and Charlie Mulgrew to name a few. I'm sure Jocky Scott will go and get what he needs for the second half of the season.

Inverness CT 1 Dundee 1, Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, First Division, 26/Dec/09

Dundee ended the year with a well deserved 1-1 draw, in a first half performance in which was likely our best of the season so far. They created so many chances and really should have had it wrapped up at half time. But only had a Leigh Griffths penalty right on half time to show for their efforts. The penalty was given after a reckless challenge from Djebi-Zadi, Leigh got up and blasted the ball home to give Dundee a half time lead. To their credit Inverness CT came into the game and had various chances, and hit the bar from a free kick. Strangely given when Dundee keeper Rab Douglas got booked for marking the pitch, yes a booking but not a free kick. Caley Thistle squared the game after a very slack pass back from Kerr put Adam Rooney through and he made no mistake. Dundee did have a few chances as well, and looked very dangerous on the break. Near the end Gary Harkins got send off for a second bookable offence, it looked a bit soft to me. A good point in the end and keeps our unbeaten run going.
Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, Kerr, MacKenzie, Lauchlan, Forsyth (Klimpl 83), Hart, Griffiths, McMenamin (Clarke 87), Harkins. Subs Not Used: Benedictis, Cameron, Soutar.
Att: 3,660

Dundee 3 Morton 1, Dens Park, First Division, 19/Dec/09

Morton started well and tested the home side on 13 minutes when keeper Rab Douglas saved a Weatherson free-kick. Dundee responded with Harkins, Griffiths and Hart all forcing Stewart into saves, the keeper's low stop from Griffiths just before the half-hour mark being a top-quality reaction stop. The league leaders took the lead nine minutes into the second half when Griffiths scored his 14th goal of the season. Craig Forsyth's whipped cross from the left was met expertly by the young Dundee striker who neatly pulled away from his marker to head low to the keeper's left and put the Dark Blues ahead. But Morton levelled just six minutes later when Weatherson connected with a fierce ball from the right to power a strong header past Douglas. A glorious move and finish restored Dundee's lead in the 65th minute, leaving Morton boss James Grady fuming at his side's lack of defensive nous. Griffiths picked the ball up near the half-way line on the left and neatly played in Ritchie Hart, who embarked on a lung-bursting 50-yard run into the visitors box. Hart could have shot but instead unselfishly squared to meet the onrushing Harkins, who finished with a clinical low shot past Stewart. Erik Paartalu forced a fine reaction save from Douglas in the 70th minute, when he drove a wicked shot at the keeper from 14 yards, the former Scotland stopper standing up brilliantly to parry. The home side wrapped up all three points two minutes from time when full-back Malone raced on to a corner from the left to head powerfully into the net.
Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, Kerr, MacKenzie, Lauchlan, Forsyth, Hart, Griffiths (Clarke 81), McMenamin, Harkins (Klimpl 82). Subs Not Used: Soutar, Benedictus, Cameron.
Att: 4,259
Wonderful result for Dundee, only gripe is I wish they would start games better. But really they do the job in the second half, so l can't complain too much. My MOM goes to Ritchie Hart.

Dundee 3 Ayr United 1, Dens Park, First Division, 12/Dec/09

Ayr took the lead in the 3rd minutes when a Woodburn pass that found lively striker Reynolds, who was almost visibly surprised at the room he found before giving Ayr the early lead. Dundee took some time to recover and Ayr looked the livelier side for the opening 20 minutes, but Forsyth headed past Ayr keeper Craig Samson to level the scoring. Eight minutes later, Harkins ghosted across the penalty area to connect with a Forsyth corner from the right, but his glancing header whipped just wide of Samson's far post. Six minutes after that, Colin McMenamin raced through the visitors' defence to go one-on-one with Samson, but his low shot to the keeper's right saw the former Dundee man make a very agile leap to beat the ball away for a corner. In the second half, Ayr scorned a great chance to restore their lead when Ryan Borris drove the ball straight at Douglas, but the former Scotland goalkeeper stood up well to make an instinctive stop and keep Dundee level. Griffiths then had a couple of good chances, the first from 14 yards well saved by the impressive Samson, the second being a half volley that the young striker miscued and sent wide. Then Harkins headed straight at Samson from a corner on the right, but the Ayr keeper made good contact to smother the ball safely. Dundee were growing into the game - Ritchie Hart gave a powerful midfield performance until he was replaced by Colin Cameron - and some tidy football was in evidence from Griffiths, Harkins and Forsyth as they probed the visitors' defence for gaps. They found the first of those gaps in the 66th minute, when Griffiths raced into the box on the left side to shoot high past Samson from 14 yards - the striker's 13th goal of the season. They found the second gap in the last minute of normal time, when Harkins made his way into the 18-yard box on the left, shaped to square the ball across the six yard line, but instead shifted his weight to shoot between Samson and his near post to score his 12th goal of the season. There was no way back for Ayr after that and Dundee ran out comfortable winners.
Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, Kerr, MacKenzie, Lauchlan, Forsyth, Hart (Cameron 78), Griffiths (Clarke 90), McMenamin, Harkins. Subs Not Used: Soutar, Benedictus, Young.
Att: 4,323
Ref: S Finnie
Another great win for the club, and they played some great football.

Latest News From Dens Park..............

Former player Milan Palenik was in the stand on Saturday, and manager Jocky Scott confirmed he will look at the defender in the next few days. Richie Hart will get treatment for the ankle knock he took on Saturday, hopefully he will be fit for Saturdays game at Dens against Ayr United.

Partick Th 0 Dundee 2, Firhill, First Division, 05/Dec/09

Dundee went 5 points clear at the top of the league after winning 2-0. In a day where results went for us, and we proved we can win away from home when it matters. Partick will feel hard done by, but it's goals that count and scoring either side of half time sealed the victory. Partick had a great chance when Rab Douglas made a hash of a kick out , and they worked it out wide to Steve Lovall for a great chance , but he curled it wide. The jags had more chances but found Rab Douglas in good form, with Leigh Griffiths missing Darren Young made his first start of the season. But against the run of play Colin McMenamin scored after his first effort was cleared off the line, but he was quick to react and shot high into the net to give Dundee a half-time lead. Into the second half and Dundee went for the killer second goal, first Harkins had a shot turned away for a corner, but in 47mins he sealed the points with a great strike, smashing the ball home from a Craig Forsyth cross. After that Dundee controlled the game with some marvellous touches from Gary Harkins, he went off near the end , and even the Jags fans applauded him. Also having a good game was Darren Young , who showed he is a very good player when fit. So a very good week for Dundee, and maybe coming back to win the Alba Cup two weeks ago has given them the self belief to go on and win this league.

Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, Kerr, MacKenzie, Lauchlan, Forsyth, Hart (Cameron 46), Young (Clarke 80), McMenamin, Harkins (Casement 86). Subs Not Used: Soutar, Benedictus.
Att: 4,453
Ref: C Thomson

Ross County 0 Dundee 1, Victoria Park, First Division, 01/Dec/09

Dundee won this thanks a second half Gary Harkins goal. He headed home in the 69th minute from a Craig Forsyth corner. By reports we had to dig deep for the 3 points, but they might prove vital come the end of the season.
Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, Kerr, MacKenzie, Lauchlan, Forsyth, Hart (Young 84), Griffiths (Clarke 84), McMenamin, Harkins. Subs Not Used: Soutar, Benedictus, Cameron.
Att: 2,005
Referee: S Nicholls