Tony Docherty has his first real test as Dundee manager tomorrow evening.
Saturday’s result may have been a surprise at Championship new boys Airdrieonians but a first defeat would be coming at some point.
Losing in football is inevitable. It’s about how you react that separates successful sides from also-rans.
Dumbarton at home is a good game to put the weekend defeat behind them quickly.
The Sons had a storming start to the season last term but fell short of promotion and remain a League Two side.
They’ve also made a fair few changes to their squad this summer.
But they defeated Inverness last week so they possess a threat.
Lyall Cameron
What we need to see from Dundee, though, is much more in attack.
If Zach Robinson is fit to play, that will make a big difference.
The Dark Blues are a different outfit with the AFC Wimbledon man as their focal point.
What I do hope is that this is the game Lyall Cameron gets his season up and running.
In the early pre-season games not much was going his way.
He wasn’t bad but the standards he sets himself I know he wouldn’t have been content.
And he should have sorted that out at the Excelsior from 12 yards.
It just feels like it’s been a struggle for the youngster to get his rhythm this term.
The difficulty of that step up from young prospect to important first team player shouldn’t be underestimated.
He does, though, certainly have the ability and mentality to get things going. And we are still very, very early in the campaign.
A home game against a League Two side could be ideal for him.
We saw last season how he grew into first-team football at Dens in the early stages by scoring against lower-league sides.
Having spent plenty of time on loan at Peterhead and Montrose it was a level he was more than comfortable at – and he excelled as he developed further.
General play so far this season has been fine but a goal or assist tomorrow would make all the difference.
Home crowd
A victory would obviously be important for the club and their ambition to get to the knockout stages of this competition.
More important, though, would be putting on a show for the home crowd at Dens Park.
Remarkably it’s the first chance Dundee have had to play at Dens since they won the Championship.
Seven matches away from home across pre-season and the opening two games have left the old place empty for too long.
This will be Docherty’s home debut as manager as well, along with all his new signings.
There’s no better time to put on a strong performance and to grab some goals doing it.
A chance to get through but crucially to get the home crowd excited for what is to come this season.
They need to take it.
