Niall McGinn is loving his new lease of life at Dundee.
After playing a bit-part role in the latter days of his Aberdeen career, McGinn is once more a key man in a Premiership side.
With so little game time of late, it has taken the Northern Ireland international a few weeks to settle into his new surroundings.
But he’s beginning to show the Dens Park support what he can bring to the Dark Blues squad.
He notched his first assist for his new club as he set up the winner for Danny Mullen at Hearts last week.
🎯 | @nmcginn10 | #thedee pic.twitter.com/NCN1ltPAiA
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) February 15, 2022
And then on Monday night he opened his scoring account with a well-taken goal that killed the Scottish Cup tie at Peterhead.
Impact
That was his first strike since April last year and the first time he’s completed 90 minutes in club football since that very same match at Livingston.
“The last 90 minutes was for Northern Ireland when I was captain against Estonia (in September),” McGinn recalled.
“I am really delighted to make an impact with a goal and an assist.
“For me, it is about working on my match fitness.
“When you go to any club you are always looking to chip in with assists and goals.
“I am delighted to get the assist for the winner at Tynecastle and to go to Peterhead on Monday night and I was delighted to get a very important goal in the game.
“It was a very difficult game. I thought Peterhead were brilliant. They played some nice football and we weren’t great to be honest.
“The second half performance was better and maybe 3-0 flattered us if I am being honest, but we are through to the next round.”
Last time played as a striker?
McGinn, though, showed his ability at the business end of the park, setting Paul McMullan away to win the penalty and then scoring the second goal himself.
The 34-year-old also showed his versatility at Balmoor.
Having played the majority of his career as a winger, McGinn rolled back the years to lead the line alongside Mullen, with Zak Rudden cup-tied.
Asked when he was last employed as a striker, he replied: “Probably under the Craig Brown era (at Aberdeen).
“That was when I scored my most goals and got 21 in a season (in 2012/13).
“I know I can play there.
“It is where the manager wants me to play; through the middle or wide.
“As a striker you will always get a chance or two in games and it’s about taking them.
“Once I saw Charlie picking the ball up deep, I knew with his ability he was going to find me.
“I’ve got onto a great cross field ball, took a good touch and slotted it through the keeper’s legs.
“I was just delighted because it was an important goal and it put us 2-0 up.”
‘Back of the minds’
With Rangers drawn in the next round and a difficult league trip to Celtic up next, big games are on the horizon for Dundee.
Despite enjoying a decent cup run, more important is the fight to stay in the Premiership, with five key league matches before they host the Gers at Dens Park.
“It is going to be a very difficult task but being at home, it is going to be a good atmosphere and it is games like that you want to be involved in,” McGinn added.
“But we need to put that to the back of our minds.
“We have some very important league games coming up against Celtic, who are flying high.
“We have three or four home games after that so hopefully we can keep up the momentum after we won our last two games and that can help us going forward.”
