Colin McMenamin jokes about once being just a lazy goal-grabber but knows he is having to change his ways to win a place in Dundee’s new-look attack.
The super-sub sparked Saturday’s late comeback when the holders were staring at an early Alba Cup exit at the hands of part-time Alloa, his glancing header drawing them level before fellow sub Sean Higgins’ last-ditch winner sank the battling Wasps.
Former Gretna marksman McMenamin had to settle for a rare place on the bench in the Dark Blues’ curtain-raiser but finished as part of a thriving three-pronged strikeforce alongside Higgins and Leigh Griffiths.
Gaffer Gordon Chisholm sees the 29-year-old, who notched 27 goals in the season Gretna clinched promotion to the SPL, performing a key role out wide, where his explosive pace can torment opposition defences.
McMenamin said, “It’s changed days. At Gretna I was the one through the middle so I was just lazy and stayed in the box all the time.
“Seriously though, this is a bit new to me but I’m just enjoying trying to adapt to this new formation the gaffer has introduced. The gaffer wants me to play more wide rather than through the middle, which is what I’ve been used to.
“I’ve got to work harder, doing more running down the flank, and if that’s what the gaffer wants I’ll be more than happy.
“It basically means we can be playing with three strikers up front, like we did at the end against Alloa, so you’ve got to fancy your chances of getting on the scoresheet.
“Nobody is guaranteed a place. The competition won’t do anyone any harm because we’re all in this together.
“We all want to get out of this league, which is going to take one big effort.”
Dundee had looked like being left red-faced as they began their defence of the Alba Challenge Cup until McMenamin’s 86th-minute header from new boy Gary Irvine’s cross after Wasps stopper Scott Walker had nodded them in front.
They breathed a sigh of relief when Higgins forced home his last-minute clincher, especially after Alloa’s Andrew Scott had struck the woodwork.
Boss Chisholm said, “With all due respect to Alloa, we certainly didn’t want to lose at home to them on the first day at Dens.
“We made it difficult for ourselves but the main thing is we got there in the end.”
Wasps boss Allan Maitland said, “It’s hard to take, although my players were immense.”