Neil McCann’s first game as interim boss saw Dundee end their seven game losing streak with victory at Motherwell.
Marcus Haber struck twice and Mark O’Hara once to take three points that were enough to move the Dark Blues out of the Premiership’s relegation play-off place.
McCann made three changes from the side that lost at home to Hamilton a fortnight ago. Cammy Kerry was suspended and also dropping out were teenager Daniel Higgins and Faissal El Bakhtaoui. In came O’Hara, Kevin Gomis and Nick Ross.
It was ‘Well, shooting towards the large away support, who made the early running, but without giving Scott Bain in the Dark Blues goal too much to worry about.
The home pressure continued, but by the mid-point of the half neither side had been able to muster a shot of note.
That changed just after the half hour mark when Louis Moult controlled an Elliott Frear cross from the left. From twelve yards out the striker pulled the trigger, but his shot was straight at Bain and he saved comfortably.
When Dundee did get forward Marcus Haber won a throw in near the opposition penalty box. Tom Hateley took it to Nick Ross, accepted the return pass and then sent over a decent cross, but there were no takers and Ben Heneghan cleared the danger.
Three minutes before the break Bain was called into action again when he tipped a cross-cum-shot from Chris Cadden over the bar.
Almost unbelievably given the pressure they’d soaked up, Dundee were ahead right on the interval.
Kevin Holt got forward, crossed and crossed from the left. Although he couldn’t find Haber in the middle, when ‘keeper Craig Samson spilled the cross, O’Hara was there to blast the ball home.
To say the goal was against the run of play was an understatement to say the least, but that did not bother the travelling support one bit and they celebrated wildly.
Three minutes into the second half the Dee fans were delirious as their team went two up.
Holt did superbly well on the left before cutting the ball back to O’Hara. He fluffed his shot, but ‘Well couldn’t clear and Haber was there to poke the ball home.
Just as it was looking like a perfect first day for the new manager, the Steelmen pulled one back as Moult netted with an angled drive at the back post.
It was raining goals and in 56 minutes Dundee were two up again.
Craig Wighton did well on the left to get a cross in and when O’Hara headed at goal it seemed Samson would save. The ball, however deflected off Haber and into the back of the net. Not surprisingly, the Canadian was more than happy to claim the goal.
If they lacked threat in the first 45 minutes, Dundee were now looking dangerous every time they got forward. Number four almost came when another Holt cross was just inches too far front of Haber in the middle.
Fourteen minutes from time there was controversy when a Heneghan header appeared to have crossed the line before James Vincent cleared, but referee Steven McLean waved away home claims it was a goal and Dundee remained two goals up.
With just over ten minutes left ‘Well did get another goal as Cadden netted from close range. It was game on again and the home team threw everything forward, but when Dundee broke Holt saw his powerful drive blocked. Then Hateley saw a low shot well saved by Samson.
That didn’t matter because they held out to give McCann the perfect start.
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