James McPake insists he’s sending his Dundee side to “hurt” Kilmarnock again at Rugby Park on Monday night.
The Dark Blues head into the play-off final second leg with a goal advantage after they dominated their Premiership rivals at a damp and dreich Dens Park.
Leading 2-0 thanks to Jordan McGhee and Charlie Adam goals, the tie was put back into the balance by a late Brandon Haunstrup strike.
That leaves just the one goal between the sides with Premiership football next season at stake.
However, there will be no sitting back and trying to hold on for Dundee says manager McPake.
“I can guarantee we will go to Rugby Park with a gameplan to hurt them again,” he told Dee TV.
“This Dundee team finds ways and creates chances.
“We took two on Thursday, it could have been more but winding back a few weeks we had a healthy lead against Raith. We came back to Dens and it was a bit edgy.
“So that goal might just give us a bit of a jag to tell us we need to be on it.
“It needs to be the same level of performance. Chest out, go out and take the fight to them.”
‘Desire and determination’
Fans were on hand to see their side win for the first time since last March.
And McPake feels his side put on a performance that was worth the wait for the 500 lucky enough to get a ticket for the first leg.
“We asked the players to go out and make us proud,” he added.
“There were fans inside the ground for the first time in a year and go show them what it means to play for Dundee Football Club.
“To a man they did that.
“It’s the best feeling in the world to say you are proud of a group of players you work with every day. Brilliant.
“There is a real desire and determination to do well for this club.”
Shaun Byrne
Two of the midfield, McGhee and Adam got on the scoresheet but it was their central partner Shaun Byrne that impressed his manager the most.
Shaun Byrne put in his best performance in a Dundee shirt for me,” said McPake.
“As good as Charlie Adam and Jordan McGhee were, Shaun Byrne was outstanding in midfield.
“Not only does he smash into people and wins the ball back, he puts his foot on the ball under pressure and buys you time.
“He’ll not hit the passes that Charlie will hit, he’ll not do the things McGhee does so well but there is a massive void when he is out of the team.
“He was out the team earlier in the season and there were reasons for that but he’s fit and he’s strong and he looked like a Premiership player on Thursday.”