Dundee will be a Premiership club for the third successive season.
It is only the second time in the past 20 years that the club has been able to say that.
Narrow survival wasn’t the plan at the start of this season, though.
Far more was expected. But Dundee did survive and pushed the yo-yo club tag further behind them.
It would be a 10th place finish with the campaign completed with a final day victory over St Johnstone followed by a pitch invasion.
Courier Sport was at McDiarmid Park to pick out key talking points.
Job done
A dreadful run since a 6-0 hammering at home to Hearts had seen Tony Docherty’s side drift towards the drop.
Indeed going into the post-split fixtures, the Dark Blues were languishing in the relegation play-off spot and had been for the previous two months.
Seven points from the 15 available post-split saw the Dee turn a one-point deficit to Ross County into a four-point gap.
That doesn’t quite cover the range of emotions Dundee have endured over the past few days, however.
Disbelief and anger at being denied safety against the Staggies in midweek was followed by nerves at McDiarmid Park.
They needed a result to ensure County could not overhaul them on the final day.
Lyall Cameron’s opening goal eased those nerves, even if an opening goal for Ross County in Dingwall didn’t help.
By the time Steven McLean pointed to the spot for a penalty in the 97th minute, County’s lead was gone and so were Dundee’s chances of relegation.
Fans
Dundee fans could have been forgiven for deciding enough was enough at various points of a largely disappointing campaign.
But they kept coming back for more.
A big following went to Tynecastle for the Scottish Cup quarter final but were left disappointed. Losing so many late goals throughout the campaign would be enough to grind down the average fan.
But still they kept coming back.
Dundee fans snapped up their initial allocation of around 2,900 tickets for this one in sharp fashion.
That’s usually more than enough to satisfy demand for this fixture but more was needed.
It was a massive following and Tony Docherty was at pains to thank supporters for their backing.
The team responded and finally got safety over the line.
Out spilled the emotion from supporters and out spilled the supporters from the stands.
The euphoria of relief after a gruelling season is understandable.
However, a pitch invasion after finishing 10th deserves the mocking it is getting online.
There’s just no need for it, lads.
Had fans stayed in the stands, players of both teams would have been able to come and say thanks personally. A number of Dundee players would be saying farewell, too.
But the pitch invasion meant that couldn’t happen.
There is a time and a place for it, this wasn’t it.
Farewell
Lyall Cameron did not want his Dundee career to end in a relegation play-off.
If he could have picked the perfect way to sign off, this was it.
Not just at McDiarmid Park but across the final week. Dundee scored five goals in the final three matches, Cameron scored four of them and set up the other.
When push comes to shove, you need your big players to step up with big moments. Cameron did just that.
It will be tough to see him return to Dens Park next season with a Rangers shirt on but there can be no doubting the impact he’s had as a Dee.
This was Cameron’s 95th start for the club, his 119th appearance in total. In that time he scored 33 goals.
Nine of those came in the Premiership this season, 14 in all competitions.
Modern football often sees talented young players whisked off by bigger clubs before they even make a first-team debut.
But Dundee got plenty out of Cameron in his three seasons at the club – a Championship title, a top-six finish and big performances when they needed it this term.
It was very Lyall Cameron to see his final ever touch of a football as a Dundee player end up in a goal.
He’ll be missed but this was the perfect way to say goodbye.
Big summer ahead
Cameron isn’t the only player leaving this summer.
It’s going to be busy at Dens Park. Plenty of ins and outs.
As it stands, 10 of the 20 players in Sunday’s matchday squad are set to depart, whether at the end of contract or as loans end.
Add to that injured pair Jordan McGhee and Seun Adewumi.
Some will re-sign in the coming weeks but there is also opportunity to up the quality of the squad.
Suffering through another season of battling to beat the drop isn’t the plan at Dens Park.
They’ve got through a troublesome season, just about. Now focus is on preparing a better one next term.
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