The outcome here was a reminder once again of the need for caution in reading too much into the early season form book. Dundee’s gleeful seizure of the spoils in the Tayside derby last week may have seemed like an encouraging portent to their followers — all of that was blown away by this disjointed showing. Their counterparts at Motherwell will surely take reassurance that the youthful enthusiasm that propelled them into the top six last season has not dissipated.
David Clarkson appears to possess both the belief and attributes to follow in the still fresh footsteps of James McFadden and Stephen Pearson. The teenage striker served notice of his continuing development with an eventful afternoon’s work. In keeping with an opening spell where he and McDonald regularly punched holes through a horribly flimsy looking Dundee rearguard, Clarkson was involved in two pivotal moments as the visitors strove to press home their clear superiority.
Skipping his way into the Dundee penalty box the lively Clarkson was clumsily upended by Bobby Mann. Clarkson dusted himself down, took the ensuing penalty and then proceeded to send it wildly off target. A short time later the Motherwell starlet found himself in the clear at the far post and proceeded to offer a lame and unthreatening volley. It is a mark of those of some substance behind their character not to be distracted by such foibles. Sure enough Clarkson strode forward thereafter to put McDonald in the clear with a measured pass and side foot past Derek Soutar for Motherwell’s opener.
Dundee could hardly complain. After putting one over United last week, Jim Duffy’s men were anticipated to take to the field with some genuine zip about their game. Aside from their palpable defensive frailties there was a lamentable lack of inspiration in midfield, whilst upfront John Sutton and Lovell mostly toiled in inglorious isolation.
Almost immediately on the restart the hosts were again on the back foot. Handicapping themselves by being shorn of width and aimlessly knocking high balls into the path of Gordon Marshall and his grateful defensive colleagues, it was unsurprising that Dundee were soon camped in their own half.
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Clarkson continued to weave his way through the home defence and the now effervescent McDonald duly helped himself to the second of the afternoon by shooting home via the palms of Soutar. “We’ve worked on combinations upfront and I’ve always fancied Clarkson and McDonald together,” ventured a clearly delighted Butcher. “Scott knows he has to work hard to establish himself, but he has had a good birthday present today. Clarkson was disappointed to miss the penalty but he apologised at half-time and if anything he worked even harder in the second half.”
It all seemed so simple for Motherwell and the fact that Dundee actually pulled a goal back was about as startling as the strike itself — Lovell picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box and lashing it beyond the helpless Marshall. Some unseemly scrambles ensued in the visitors’ penalty area but it would have been grand larceny if an equaliser had materialised.
Jim Duffy made no attempt to hide from the reality of his side’s shortcomings.
“We didn’t play at all, except for about 10 minutes at the end. I think we got what we deserved. No excuses, simple as that,” Duffy added.
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Dundee: Soutar; Macdonald, Smith, Mann, Hernandez; Anderson, Fotheringham (Larsen 80min), Brady (Jablonski 70min), Robb (McNally h/t); Sutton, Lovell
Motherwell: Marshall; Corrigan, Craigan, Kinniburgh, Hammel; McBride, O’Donnell, Leitch, Paterson (Fitzpatrick 73min); Clarkson, McDonald (Fagin 85min) Scorers: Dundee: Lovell 73,
Motherwell: McDonald 28 and 62
Booked: Mann 75
Referee: C Murray
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Attendance: 4,849