Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dee’s ‘bit of gloss’ delights McCann
DUNDEE boss Neil McCann was delighted to see his side show “a bit of gloss” in their deserved 2-0 victory at Ross County.
The Dark Blues ran out victors in the Highlands after a superb Mark O’Hara strike in the opening 20 minutes was added to by a late Faissal El Bakhtaoui lob to see them make the long journey home with three points in the bag.
It was also their first away league win of the season and just their second clean sheet.
The victory made it seven points from the last nine and Neil is delighted with the way his side are shaping up.
He said: “Looking at our away form, it has been poor.
“That was our first clean sheet (away from home) and that’s really pleasing.
“I said to them after the game they have now started to show glimpses of all their hard work they’ve put in for training. I’m so happy for them.
“I thought it was a real team performance and I think our side are starting to show glimpses of their adaptability and flexibility that I’ve been working so hard with Graham (Gartland) on.
“I think it’s important during a match you can adapt to a side who are changing tactics themselves to get into it.
“What I’m pleased with is we’re starting to get a bit of gloss on our play because that’s been missing. There was a real confidence.”
The Dens gaffer also had praise for goalkeeper Elliott Parish, who has only conceded one goal in his last 270 minutes of football.
He came in for the 2-1 defeat at Hibs at the start of November after No 1 Scott Bain’s dispute with the management and has looked right at home between the sticks at Dens.
Neil added: “Elliott has come in and has been brilliant — so, so good.
“He’s given us so much confidence at the back and that’s two clean sheets for him.
“I’m absolutely buzzing for him because he waited a long time to get in.”
County boss Owen Coyle was disappointed as his side made it three games without a goal.
He said: “I don’t think we got to the standard we have set in previous games.
“It probably suited Dundee to play on the counter-attack, they certainly looked a threat.
“We’ve got to pick ourselves up and that’s what we’ll do. “That’s the nature of the league. “The margins are very fine but having done so well at home we wanted to cement that but we’ve not done that.”