Some Neil McCann magic was sprinkled over Dens Park on Saturday as the veteran winger produced a fairytale finish to Dundee’s match against Raith Rovers.
Had someone suggested before the game that the 36-year-old TV pundit’s return to the Dark Blues as a trialist would end with his scoring a 95th-minute winning goal, it would have been dismissed as pie in the Sky.
Manager Barry Smith had stressed during the build-up to the game that neither he nor the player wanted it to become the Neil McCann show in case it detracted from the efforts of the rest of the players.
However, McCann, who left the club in the 1990s to go on and find success with Hearts, Rangers and Scotland, certainly was top of the bill after supplying such a dramatic ending.
It was like the good old days as he celebrated in front of the South Enclosure after hooking a shot up and over the head of Raith keeper Andy McNeil in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
It wasn’t all about McCann, though, with midfielder Gary Harkins chipping in with a delightful free-kick from 25 yards on 84 minutes to equalise Grant Murray’s headed opener for the Fifers six minutes after half-time.
However, even Harkins was happy to highlight substitute McCann’s remarkable contribution to an incredible conclusion to this match.
“You couldn’t have written it for Neil to come on and score the winner like that,” said Harkins.
“It is brilliant for him and forthe club. The place went wild and the celebrations were brilliant.
“Neil has that kind of ability and the lads are delighted to have him here.
“It is good of him to come up and help us out because we don’t have many bodies and the same guys are doing it week in, week out.
“We were a bit out on our feet at the end but we kept going and got our reward.
“It meant a lot to us because we want to do everything we can to keep the club in this league.
“It shows the character we have in the dressing-room and the togetherness was shown in the celebrations. The boys are a credit to themselves.”Fighting for everythingThere could not have been a more thrilling finale to a landmark spell for the Dundee fans in the 5105 crowd, who looked on with relief as administrator Bryan Jackson secured a Creditors’ Voluntary Arrangement on Tuesday to pave the way to an exit from administration.
“It was a great way to cap the week the club has had,” added Harkins.
“The fans have been brilliant, raising so much money to keep the place alive.
“So we were delighted to give them something to cheer about. We kept them waiting by going a goal down but hopefully the way we finished sent them away in good spirits.
“The fans have been great. They have turned up in big numbers and the players are all desperate to do their best for them.
“We kept believing that we would get a chance. It was always going to be hard because I don’t think Raith lose too many leads when they go in front.
“I don’t practise the free-kicks that often. I did a few on Friday and I think the ball is still stuck up at the top of the stand from one of them.
“But thankfully when it mattered it went into the net. I was delighted to get the goal but I was even happier for the team winning the game.”
A Dundee victory had seemed unlikely, with Raith on top until Harkins slammed home the set-piece.
They didn’t hammer home their advantage, though, and crept further and further back towards their own goal in the closing stages. McCann’s winner wasn’t appreciated in the away dressing room, with Raith midfielder Allan Walker arguing that it was a bit of a fluke.
“At the first goal, the boy has put a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards, so fair play to him,” he said.
“The second goal was a freak goal. He turned, swivelled and didn’t catch it right. It has come off the outside of his boot and landed in the far corner of the net.
“We weren’t at our best today and we are all disappointed. We sat back a wee bit and the manager has told us that.
“We were comfortable without being good and it was probably our worst performance for six or seven weeks.”
That Rovers weren’t happy with how they performed despite dominating for long spells was confirmed by boss John McGlynn.
“I don’t think we played particularly well,” he said
“For half an hour of the second half we looked comfortable but towards the end we gave away too many free-kicks.
“That put us under pressure and let Dundee keep putting the ball into the box.
“Some days we would have managed to get out with the three points or even a point but we didn’t.”
While Rovers rued the loss of their unbeaten away record, Dundee were delighted to extend their unbeaten league record to 14.
It is a terrific achievement and one that Smith should reflect upon with immense pride when he takes training this morning.
“What happened there epitomises what the players all about: fighting for everything and going right to the end,” he said.
“It has been a long time since I saw Dens go that wild and, after the week the club had, this topped it all off.”