Dundee produced their best team performance of the season to defeat Motherwell, according to boss Paul Hartley.
The 2-0 victory took the Dark Blues off the bottom of the Premiership and Hartley felt that his team got it right at both ends of the pitch.
“That’s the best we have been in terms of a team performance and how we defended and attacked,” he said.
“We maybe got a little bit of luck but overall I think we were the better team.”
The bit of luck Hartley was referring to came in the 21st minute when the score was still goalless and Dundee goalkeeper David Mitchell stumbled over his line as he caught Scott McDonald’s cross – but neither referee John Beaton nor assistant referee Ross Haswell signalled for a goal.
Mitchell’s whole body was inside the goal and Motherwell went on to suffer more misery as the outstanding Craig Wighton set up goals for Cammy Kerr and Marcus Haber in each half to seal the win.
“I’ve not really seen it, but it looks like possibly it could have been a goal,” Hartley said.
“But we have not really had any luck this season, maybe we were due a wee break. Motherwell will be saying something different and I think we deserved it.”
Motherwell boss Mark McGhee said: “The goal that wasn’t given is clearly a goal. There is no doubt. At the time I thought that and, having looked on the camera, it’s a goal.
“It didn’t cause us to lose the game but I think it caused us not to win the game.”
McGhee’s frustration was compounded by the fact Beaton awarded Dundee a crucial soft late penalty in the same fixture last term.
“They don’t give you any explanation,” he said. “He never gave me any explanation last year when he gave a penalty against Chris Cadden and we drew 2-2 here. The same referee.
“I have to say though, the linesman has got to help him. There are two of them there and they can’t see it. I can’t understand it.”
McGhee felt his side could have gone on to win the game if they had been awarded the goal.
“At that time we were starting to undermine them, they were getting a bit of stick from the crowd, the goalie was under a little bit of pressure before that,” he said.
“And that was the point we could have gone on and won the game. When it wasn’t given I was disappointed we then conceded a goal and then they just turned us round, they constantly hooked it back in, hooked it back in, and we found it very difficult to get out against the wind, up the hill and a goal down.
“But the first half was the disappointment for me, we didn’t do well enough.”
Dundee will assess a shoulder injury sustained by Kevin Gomis, who landed awkwardly after a Stephen McManus foul.
The defender was a late replacement for Julen Etxabeguren, who missed the game through illness.
