Dundee showed no signs of rustiness after their impromptu mid-season break as they swept aside Motherwell at Dens Park.
It was the Dark Blues’ most complete performance since their return to the Premiership with goals from Luke McCowan, Danny Mullen and Ryan Sweeney earning a 3-0 victory.
That may not have moved them out of the relegation play-off spot but the three points sent them to within a victory of seventh-placed St Mirren.
On the day the Dens Park club said goodbye to one of the all-time greats in Doug Cowie, what can we take from the dominant display?
Charlie Adam
Skipper Adam was at the heart of everything good coming from the Dark Blues.
The previous meeting between the sides saw the 35-year-old pick up an injury that kept him out for five games – in that time Dundee earned just one point and only hit the net on one occasion.
Though he said in the run-up to the game breaks are no good to him at this stage of his career, Adam was back to his best after the three-week lay-off.
He may not have scored or made a direct assist but Adam played a key role on all three goals.
The first finding McCowan with a fine pass to set off the move, the second faking to shoot and finding McCowan again via Mullen.
Then for the third he chose not to shoot from the free-kick, instead lifting the ball in for Lee Ashcroft to knock across goal for Sweeney to finish off.
A captain’s performance.
Danny Mullen
Leaving Leigh Griffiths and Jason Cummings on the bench for Mullen will have been questioned in some quarters.
There won’t be any questions after that performance, however.
Good morning 🙌 🙌 🙌 #thedee pic.twitter.com/vDvupZ5lWP
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) November 28, 2021
Right up there with the best of his displays in dark blue, Mullen dominated the Motherwell backline.
The 26-year-old returned to action as Dundee beat Aberdeen last month and it’s no coincidence the team’s fortunes have improved since.
Lee Ashcroft
For the whole of 2021, Ashcroft has been the key member of the Dundee defence.
And in the Premiership he’s topped the league charts for blocks, aerial challenges won and sat second for clearances (numbers below from before the recent international break).
Also a major threat in opposing penalty areas, any Ashcroft absence will leave a huge hole in the Dundee side.
Unfortunately he pulled up in the second half with the game already won at 3-0.
The extent of the injury is yet to be known but it’s likely he will be missing for the key games to come.
And a big miss he will be.
Form
Despite that disaster at home to Ross County in the middle, Dundee now have three wins from their last six matches.
More recently it is two victories from their last three with clean sheets in both successes over St Mirren and Motherwell.
In the first round of fixtures, James McPake’s side picked up just seven points – after only three games of the second, they have earned six already.
Now they have the opportunity to move up the table on Wednesday with St Johnstone in town.
Dundee’s win over Motherwell was ‘fitting tribute’ to club legend Doug Cowie says boss James McPake
