Paul Hartley wants his Dundee players to use Sunday’s encouraging performance against champions-in-waiting Celtic to launch a late push for a top-six place.
The Dark Blues boss was disappointed to see his team edged out 2-1 by the Hoops at Dens and felt ultimately the game was decided by a soft goal conceded by his team.
But he was pleased with the way his players stuck to their task throughout the 90 minutes and gave the opposition some anxious moments after Faissal El Bakhtaoui hauled them back into the game with a stunning late strike.
And although it’s a big ask with Partick Thistle four points ahead in sixth and just four games to go to the split, including two against top-half sides Aberdeen and Hearts, he believes there remains a chance of moving up to the elite group.
“The boys can take a lot of confidence from the way they played. Celtic finished the game playing 4-5-1 and brought on another defender,” he said.
“That’s credit to our players for the way they kept going and tried to play in their final third.
“Now there are four games to go to the split. That’s 12 points to play for, so we will have a go.
“Then, if we get there, great. If not, it’s about making sure we are safe and secure for next year and if we play like that we can be.”
Publicly, Paul hasn’t set his team a target for the final four pre-split outings but the reckoning at Dens is, with Partick on a good run, three wins are needed to have a realistic chance of moving up the required two places.
With the Dons next up at Dens on Friday week — when a Dee victory would confirm Celtic as champions — and Hearts to be faced at Tynecastle early next month, that looks a tall order.
There’s no game this weekend because of internationals but a strong side will head to Forfar tomorrow for Martyn Fotheringham’s testimonial.
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