Joel Sked looks over an action packed midweek Premiership card, beginning with the joyous festival of football that was the Dundee derby.
Ever Banega. Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi again. Twenty minutes had elapsed and those Barcelona fan boys were on the verge of Graham Cummins – more on him later – while we Scottish football fans suffered a typical run of the mill boring Dundee Derby with no goals and no atmosphere.
Ha! Boring Dundee Derby. Not on your Nelly! Twenty five goals in the last five league meetings. The game offered ample quality, as much goal mouth action and, even with James McPake playing, probably a little less hapless defending as the glorified friendly taking place in . . . *double checks to make sure I heard correctly* Tbilisi.
It was another frantic, fast, fun festival of football in what has turned into the most anticipated Derby in Scottish football. Rory Loy was back for Dundee meaning the Dens side reprised their front three which terrorised Kilmarnock on the opening day. Paul Hartley’s men stroked the ball around with comfort in the first half. Their narrow midfield three outnumbering United in the middle, while Greg Stewart played a David Silva-esque role from the left; constantly drifting into an area where there was confusion as to who had the responsibility of picking him up. Kane Hemmings’s ability to run in behind helped open space up by stretching the defence. Three times he got into threatening areas with Mark Durnan caught in positions which did not allow him to track the run.
The narrowness of Dundee, both wide forwards darting infield, forced United inside to try and combat their rivals to get a foothold. As against Hearts this freed both full-backs to get forward with time on the ball. Kevin Holt already appears to be an inspired signing, positive with and without the ball down the left flank. However, Dundee were guilty of failing to take the chances that presented themselves in the first half.
Untied offered a sporadic threat. They failed to capitalise on Dundee’s narrowness, unable to shift the ball wide at pace. The encounter became more even after the break following the removal of Kevin Thomson through injury. An enquiry as to what odds you could get in the Dundee number 10 to get injured was laughed away by McBookie who don’t appear to be interested in printing money for me. Gary Harkins took up the position at the base of midfield. With the signings of Nick Ross and Nicky Low it could be concluded that his Dundee career was coming to a conclusion. But he looks as fit as he has ever been, showing there is more to his game than delicious assisting. Yet Thomson’s departure and subsequent arrival of the perennial pissed (off) Paul McGowan seemed to affect the away side and open the game up so it went back and forth.
Blair Spittal got the ball on the edge of the box and went around James McPake the way you do to your Granny on Christmas Day with a drunken shimmy. McPake’s effort was tired and half-hearted (one too many Sherries). The toe-poked finished was exceptional. His second produced an equally emphatic finish after running onto Chris Erskine’s dissecting pass. If it was a computer game Paul McGinn would be lying on the ground in two bits. The quickness of the move did not allow him to get set and ‘force’ the pass outside rather than inside him.
His hat-trick goal would have been the best of the lot. As he displayed against Aberdeen and already that evening his quick feet are dazzling. You would fancy them in a quick-draw Western show-down. He danced himself into a shooting position even if the ball was caught slightly under his feet but he still struck a fine effort agonisingly past the post.
That would have been that. But then Stewart reappeared on the right hand side of the United box on his left foot. Everyone knows the answer. Except John Rankin and Paul Dixon. They shut him down once forcing him wide but then didn’t seem to realise he was allowed to try again. The ball flew into the top corner. The goal brought about a manic four minutes of stoppage time.
The way each team went about it was terrible. United had opportunities to run down the clock but we’re wasteful while Dundee took wrong decisions in the final third. But then Scott Bain produced a world class finger tip save to deny Simon Murray. A save resembling one he produced against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup last season. It displayed his presence reach and athleticism in one movement. Then came the final act.
Further loose United play allowed Harkins a shot at goal, Luis Zwick for the third time parried an effort back into the centre of the box and McPake, in the only way McPake knows, slid, nay, lunged in on the ball and tackled it into the net. While he flashed his bicep – was that it tensed, James? – Dundee fans were on the pitch and Paul Hartley was running down the sideline. Think less Jose Mourinho and more Mr Blobby.
Until that point Zwick had performed well. He shovelled the first effort from McGinn into the only area he could before saving from Ross. Before a dipping Stewart effort was beaten away before again getting up and denying Dundee on the second attempt. But third time unlucky.
Some game. Anyway, the UEFA Super Cup . . .
Also on Tuesday evening early surprise front runners for the Premiership golden boot added to their tally. Craig Curran swept Ross County ahead at McDairmid Park while the aforementioned Graham Cummins, making his first start, scored his third equaliser in as many matches. The former Exeter City front man could easily have notched another one, two maybe even three. The ball confided in him. Similar to Billy Mckay at Inverness it would continue to fall invitingly into his radius. Early on and he looks an improvement on Brian Graham as well as his strike partner John Sutton.
Both teams lined up 4-4-2 and it was County who appeared to have more variety to their game. Michael Gardyne and Raffaele De Vita suited to their wide roles while Ian McShane and Jackson Irvine demonstrating they can play together in a midfield four. Going by highlights from their recent games they should fancy themselves for a top six finish.
It appeared BT Sport were set to celebrate Halloween more than two months early with their decision to show the massacre that would be Kilmarnock v Celtic. It certainly started that way when the visitors used the type of streetwise smarts that they don’t encounter against the Premiership dunces. An early free-kick caught out Mark Connolly who was in discussion with his midfield over the merits of different types of milk. Mark looks like he is a keen red milk drink. Leigh Griffiths 1-0. Oh Gary, I felt for you. I really did. *insert smug face*
Many expected the game to turn from soft core Eurotrash to full blown Oriental Orgy XI. But alas it did not transpire. Kilmarnock admirably hung in the game. Rory McKenzie buzzed around in a number 10 role while Josh Magennis made himself known to the Celtic centre halves, Efe Ambrose in particular. He should have scored when raced onto McKenzie’s arced through ball but fired over rather than straight at the goalkeeper. Which makes a nice change. Like getting rejected in a club using a different chat-up line. Getting there.
And he did get there. And he went all the way. Nipping in ahead of Ambrose to divert past Craig Gordon. Ambrose unaware and on his heels while Virgil Van Dijk out of position to cut out the cross. Fortunately when they play in Europe they do not encounter such elaborate play as a full-backs swinging in a cross and a striker trying to score.
Celtic were still the dominant side. James Forrest was a driving force, skipping past and committing players or drawing forward. However, more than once his lack of ruthlessness let him down. With Stefan Johansen in a deeper role and Tom Rogic in the number 10 role they lacked penetration through the middle. Even still Jamie MacDonald was keeping Killie in the game, until Nir Bitton, growing in importance to Celtic, sledgehammered a shot into the top corner.
That was surely it, especially when Charlie Mulgrew arrived to solidify the midfield. But with MacDonald in fine form Killie only needed one moment – two or three if it involved Magennis – to get off the mark in surprising fashion. And it came in lax fashion when Emilio Izaguirrie clumsily brought down Greg Kiltie. Kallum Higginbotham, until that point ineffectual, opted against an outside of the boot penalty for a cheeky Nandos, pint, vino, Panenka.
A team with a midfield of Jamie Hamill and Scott Robinson had earned a result against Celtic.
THIS IS JAMIE HAMILL https://t.co/YiuCBfc4w4
— Joel Sked (@sked21) August 13, 2015
*Points at John Collins*
With Aberdeen not playing it meant that the Heart of Midlothian JUGGERNAUT could reach the summit of the Premiership. With Robbie Neilson’s beautifully conducting the orchestra, and still being able to rest the important string section in Jamie Walker and Juanma Delgado, there was a control, a confidence, a comfort to the play and result.
Gavin Reilly buzzed about menacingly as they staked a claim for a starting berth while Osman Sow against played on the periphery but offered enough movement and touches to keep Stephen McManus concerned. While Neilson will take heart from resting his two best forward players and winning he will be even more satisfied with a resolute defensive performance and the re-emergence of the Prince Buaben-Morgaro Gomis axis in the midfield.
They may have gone through some rocky moments like Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in Bad Boys II but on last night’s performance they have rekindled their previous midfield bromance. Poetry could be written about the way they dovetailed while if Michael Bay was in the crowd he would have envisaged explosions and noise, lots of noise, as Buaben barrelled forward, committing players, destroying lives to set up Billy King for the second.
The Champions-elect now move on to Dingwall and Ross County. As for Motherwell it was a performance of nothingness. No pace, no verve, toothless and timid.
As for Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Partick Thistle. Let’s just finish here, eh? Those fans looks utterly delighted to be there.