Strikers are judged on goals but Alex Jakubiak admits he’s not done enough of that during his time at Dundee.
Two-and-a-half years have passed since he signed on the dotted line at Dens Park, coming in as replacement for the departed Kane Hemmings.
But, remarkably, his key strike in Saturday’s big clash with league leaders Queen’s Park was his first league goal for the Dark Blues in all that time.
A succession of injuries have been the main contributor to that scarcity but there have been five goals in cups and one on loan at Partick Thistle.
Now, though, ‘Jak’ is looking fit and ready to add to Saturday’s goal between now and the end of the campaign.
Asked if the goal had been a long time coming, Jakubiak replied: “Definitely, I have not played as much as I would have liked for various reasons – injury, things like that.
“But as a striker, you want to score goals as that is what you are judged on at the end of the day.
“It is the best feeling in the world scoring a goal no matter if it is in training or in matches.
“So I am delighted with it.”
Any contact
But what did he actually use to force Paul McMullan’s cross over the line?
“It was my lower chest/stomach. I just had to get something on it,” the former Watford man said.
“I had a chance exactly the same on Tuesday night where Paul had got to the byline, I had run in at the near post and I’d tried to flick it in.
“It got a touch off a defender but the referee gave a goal kick.
“But I know when Paul is in that position, I need to break my neck to get in between the goals and he will deliver.
“So he put it in there and I just thought to myself to get any contact on it and it would be a goal.”
Celebration
He did indeed get the ball over the line to make the scoreline far more comfortable for his side.
In doing so, though, he was also able to fulfil the wish of a young fan behind that goal after a request pre-match.
Jakubiak revealed: “When we were warming up on the side there before the game, one of the boys there was shouting over saying when you score can you give our flag a little wave.
“At the time I wasn’t even thinking about it but when I ran behind the goal I just saw it on the floor, picked it up and gave it a little wave.
“It was enjoyable.”
Marker
Saturday’s was a crucial match against the league leaders, lose and Dundee would fall a massive eight points behind Queen’s Park.
Instead the Dark Blues have given their season a shot in the arm once more after a couple of games without victory.
And have now defeated each of their top four rivals in the past three months.
“We knew we had to win today,” Jakubiak added.
“We have that mind-set going into every game but obviously with them being top of the league they would have come here with a lot of belief and confidence.
“It wasn’t just the result though, it was our performance as well.
“We really put down a marker.
“The first thing the manager said was to maintain that standard going into the next game.
“That goes for training as well – keep that standard and belief and we will only get better going forward.”
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