Dundee got plenty of plaudits for their performance in losing narrowly at champions Celtic last week but the biggest encouragement Paul McGowan took was the air of disappointment in the dressing-room after the final whistle.
The midfielder believes the Dark Blues played well enough as they went down 1-0 at Parkhead to feel they’d continued their recent good form in the Premiership.
But it was still a defeat and, for McGowan, it was important no one lost sight of that.
“We should have got something out of the game last week, the way we played and the chances we had. Celtic would probably say different but we know we should have got at least a draw,” he said.
“You could argue Celtic weren’t at their best but we made them like that with the way we performed.
“People will also say they made a few changes but they were still bringing in players who’d been bought for three million and two million.
“We went there with a game plan and we were so unlucky. Dorus de Vries in their goal had a great game considering he’d been out of their first-team for so long.
“We were very disappointed in the dressing-room afterwards. People expect you to go to Celtic and get turned over, that’s just the way it is, but why not go there and have a go at them?
“We did that and we were brilliant, honestly, I felt we were. The chances we had, they go in on another day and we could have been walking away from Celtic Park with three points, though a draw probably would have been the fair result.
“But we left there gutted and there’s not many times you go to Celtic and feel like that when you’ve just been beaten by the odd goal.
“That’s important because we went there to take something and, if you do lose, you can’t be happy.”
Today it’s back to Glasgow for Neil McCann’s men and a clash with struggling Partick Thistle, the top flight’s basement club who, nine games in, are still in search of their first league victory.
That suggests Dundee could be in line for their first away success of the campaign and three points is certainly the aim.
McGowan, though, warns this is a task that, in terms of difficultly, is not that far short of going to a place like Celtic.
“I am a big admirer of Partick and I think Alan Archibald has done a great job there.
“The way they play football it’s quite surprising they are in this situation but a couple of wins and they are out of it.
“We know they are a good team and they have a good squad, they’ve been dealt a bad hand with injuries so far this season.
“We have to go there thinking of them as the team that got to the top six last season and, as I say, it only takes a couple of victories in this league and you are right back up there. They’ll know that.
“If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing, we will be confident. We’ve been playing well and we want to keep that going.
“We can do that against Partick, but I know how tough it’s going to be because they are a real good side and I expect them to turn things round.
“For us, it’s about consistency and playing the way we can on a regular basis. That’s always been the issue since I’ve been here.”
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