It may only have been the second league match of the season but Dundee needed a win at Raith Rovers.
The growing bubble of early-season optimism had deflated after an opening-day defeat to Partick Thistle in front of a big home crowd.
Once more there was a big crowd of Dees in the stands eager to see something different from Gary Bowyer’s side.
And they got it in the 1-0 win at Stark’s Park.
It may not have been a classic from the Dark Blues, one that will live long in the memory, but it was exactly the type of performance that brings success in the Championship.
So what did we learn from Bowyer’s first league victory as Dundee boss?
Two halves, two different Dundees
The first half from the Dark Blues, wearing their Argentina-inspired away kit, was one brimming with energy.
The speedy front five were all over the Raith Rovers defence like a particularly nasty rash.
Striker Zak Rudden led the line with the ball but also without it, chasing everything down and preventing Rovers from building any meaningful possession.
Then it was Paul McMullan and Alex Jakubiak. If the home team got past them, Max Anderson and Josh Mulligan were right in their faces.
If they got past them, Shaun Byrne was biting in with the tackles in the middle of the park.
The running from Dundee was relentless. But their efforts didn’t get the reward of a second goal after Mulligan’s 13th-minute opener.
That meant when the intensity inevitably dropped in the second half, a different side to the team was required.
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— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) August 7, 2022
Rovers sent on playmaker Dylan Easton and upped their efforts, pushing Dundee back after the break.
And it became a hold-what-we-have display as the second period wore on.
They did that and earned an important three points.
Mettle
Questions had been asked of the mentality in this young Dundee team after the Thistle disappointment.
The pressure was on, it rarely isn’t in the second tier for the Dark Blues, but pessimism would certainly have overtaken optimism in the stands if the wait for a first win went beyond the opening two fixtures.
They showed they can handle that pressure by seeing out what could have been a tricky away day – look at the results elsewhere across the division and it’s clear easy afternoons will be few and far between this season.
Sharp
Ryan Sweeney and Tyler French had good games, heading and clearing plenty of the balls sent their way.
But, when Rovers got past the backline, there was no beating Dundee’s young goalie.
His first save was one of serious ability, clawing a Sam Stanton curler out of the top corner at full stretch.
He would deny the former Dundee United man later again in the first half before a few more comfortable stops in the second period.
His kicking, though, at times was poor and he did have a distinctly uncomfortable moment as he lost his footing while in possession in his own six-yard box with Ethan Ross bearing down.
Sharp got away with that piece of misfortune as the Raith man chipped wide.
Giveth and taketh away
Lee Ashcroft made a welcome return, coming off the bench late on in just his fourth appearance since November.
Also back in a matchday squad for the first time in six months was goalkeeper Adam Legzdins.
Two big voices are back in the team and with that Dundee are a stronger outfit.
But they also lost a couple of players to injury at Stark’s Park.
Byrne would limp off in the second half after stopping Dylan Easton beginning a dangerous counter-attack.
More worrying was seeing Jakubiak drop to the ground with a muscle problem.
His history as a Dundee player has been one beset by injuries.
Finally this season he appeared to have put that behind him and showed his quality in the Premier Sports Cup.
But again there’s a setback, fingers crossed it’s not a lengthy absence ahead.
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