Scott Allan believes that Dundee supporters have every right to be jealous of other clubs’ Scottish Cup exploits, and aims to give the faithful some glory at long last.
The club have not won the Cup since 1910 — they have reached four finals since, most recently in 2003 — and, in order to improve that record, Neil McCann’s men must win tonight’s fourth round replay against Inverness Caledonian Thistle with whom they drew 2-2 more than a week ago at Dens Park.
Inverness won the competition to claim the club’s first major trophy in 2015, then Hibernian ended a 114-year wait for Cup success a year later. Allan, the midfielder on loan from Celtic, is eager to lift Dundee’s success-starved followers by helping the team to go on a run all the way to the final at Hampden on May 19. Allan said: “When the fans here see the likes of Inverness and Hibs going all the way and winning the Scottish Cup, they can be a bit envious; it’s understandable.”
Dundee head north in high spirits following Saturday’s dramatic win, secured with the last kick of the ball by A-Jay Leitch-Smith, away to Hamilton Academical. “It [a last-gasp winner] is one of the best feelings ever,” said Allan. “The fans were buzzing and it’s gone right through the dressing-room.”
McCann, the manager, revealed that Matt Henvey, the teenage midfielder who scored his first goal for the club to equalise at Hamilton, will miss out. McCann said: “After the elation of scoring, he’s injured by what was a poor challenge; he [was] caught on the knee.” Roarie Deacon and Lewis Spence both return to the squad from injuries but striker Marcus Haber is not ready.