Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dee boss Doc purrs: ‘Almost a complete team performance’
TONY Docherty hailed a “real top performance” from his Dundee side after earning their first Premiership win of the season by beating Hearts 3-1.
A superb first half saw the Dark Blues 3-0 up at the break through Scott Tiffoney’s opener, a Gerald Taylor own goal and a Luke Mccowan penalty.
Frankie Kent headed Hearts back into the game on 61 minutes but Docherty’s side saw off any comeback attempt to grab a deserved win – one that delighted the manager.
“It was almost a complete team performance,” Docherty said. “I have seen loads of good performances, but that was as good as I’ve seen in the first half. I had a go at them last week against Dundee United because I didn’t think they were brave enough. But the bravery in possession here was the thing that pleased me the most.
“I thought it was a real top performance and it had to be against a really good Hearts team. We knew we had to be organised out of possession, but carry a real threat when we had the ball – and we got that balance right.
“The players carried out the game plan to the letter.
“It’s easy to put out a game plan but the players still need to execute it.”
A change of system to 4-3-3 saw Tiffoney earn a start and his recall paid off for the Dee with the opener. Zander Clark’s clearance went straight to Luke Mccowan and the Dee skipper found Tiffoney before the winger cut inside and fired into the near corner. Then just as the half was winding down to a 1-0 scoreline at the break, the contest burst into life.
Kicking it off was a brutal tackle from Gerald Taylor on Tiffoney, earning only a yellow to the anger of the home crowd and manager.
VAR checked for a red card but said no. A yellow did come Docherty’s way, however.
“It was more the speed of the tackle, so I felt it was reckless and I feared for Scott Tiffoney,” he explained. “He lifted his leg to stop it being a serious one. The referee has come and explained red cards but for me I thought it was a red card.
“I don’t ever want to see anyone get sent off but I felt it was reckless.
“I don’t know what I got booked for, I think I maybe came out of the technical area to protest.”
Moments after the tackle, Tiffoney’s pressure distracted Taylor as he miscued a Simon Murray cross into his own net.
That was just into the four minutes of stoppagetime but there was still time for things to get even better for Dundee.
Tiffoney finished off a fine first half by nipping into the area before being brought down by Daniel Oyegoke in the area for a clear penalty. Up stepped the in-demand Mccowan and he made no mistake in firing into the top corner.
Second half, it looked like the hosts had a fourth through Lyall Cameron only for VAR to call things back for a handball by Mo Sylla in the build-up.
Things could have got hairy after Frankie Kent headed in with half-anhour to go but Dundee’s defence saw out the game.
The one negative of the afternoon saw new signing Ziyad Larkeche (QPR loanee) stretchered off to be replaced by another new boy in Billy Koumetio.
Docherty said: “Larkeche is fine, we got a wee fright. The doctor and physio have assessed him and he’ll be OK.”