Dundee midfielder Gavin Rae not only had to watch teammate Matt Lockwood make it an unhappy hat-trick of misses from the spot he also got the blame for the blunder!
Lockwood squandered the chance to put the Dark Blues 2-1 up against Kilmarnock in their Scottish Cup fourth-round tie at Dens Park on Saturday when his penalty was saved by keeper Cammy Bell.
It wasn’t the best of attempts and, after failures in previous games against Ayr United and Morton, it made it three-in-a-row for Lockwood.
There were other candidates to take the kick, such as striker Steven Milne and Rae himself, but the Englishman stepped forward again. Whether he will be allowed to take Dundee’s next one is in severe doubt and that will be good news for Rae because it won’t allow Lockwood to point the finger at him, albeit in jest.
”Matt is raging at me because he is saying that since I came here he hasn’t scored a penalty, whereas previously he had scored about 50!” said Rae. ”Seriously, though, we are gutted because it was a great chance to get a goal and we have not taken it.”
As it turned out, the Dark Blues had to be content with a 1-1 draw, a fine overall performance and another shot at Killie at Rugby Park on January 17.
The home players had expressed a collective desire to do themselves justice and show their true selves on Saturday, with the match televised live across Scotland. That they did so was beyond question.
They had a controversial ”goal” ruled out belatedly but correctly for offside after just 15 minutes. When Ryan Conroy poked the ball forward it was flicked on by Ross Chisholm into the path on Milne, who shot into the net.
Milne looked to be in an offside position and it was surprise when both referee Stevie O’Reilly and far-side assistant Charlie Smith initially indicated it was a goal.
O’Reilly pointed to the centre spot and Smith ran back towards the halfway line, while Milne’s name was announced over the Tannoy. However, the ref, who had been surrounded by irate Killie players, changed his mind after a word in his earpiece from fourth official Frank McDermott and a chat with Smith who, it transpired, had missed the Chisholm flick-on.
”The goal was a bit strange because they gave it and then disallowed it,” said Rae. ”We didn’t know what was going on. The linesman didn’t give offside but I don’t think he saw Ross’s flick. The ref did see it and I think that’s why he disallowed it.
”That’s the way it was explained to us but it’s still disappointing to have been given a goal and then had it taken off you.”
Manager Barry Smith chose not to challenge the officials, saying: ”I never asked (about it). They made the decision and we’ll just get on with it.”
The hosts were then hit with a sucker punch when the SPL side took the lead against the run of play. The Dundee defence could not match Manny Pascali’s near-post run at a Dean Shiels’ corner and the Italian got to the ball before goalkeeper Rab Douglas to head home.
The Dens men weren’t done, however, and started the second half in sensational style. Less than half a minute after the break, they pulled level after a terrific move was started and finished by Milne Rae and Conroy also contributing and it was the least they deserved.
Chances would come and go thereafter but none offered a clearer path into today’s draw at Hampden than the spot-kick, awarded for a Mohamadou Sissoko push on Conroy on 63 minutes.
Once they get over the disappointment, Dundee should realise they are still well in this tie.
”I thought we played well and were maybe just a wee bit unfortunate not to get the win,” added Rae. ”We do get another chance so we’ll give it a go down there in the replay. If we play as well as we can and give a good account of ourselves then we have a chance.”
Victory in the cup tie would have capped a great week for Rae, who has just agreed to stay on at Dundee.
”I am loving the training and playing for the club so I was happy to extend the deal,” he said. ”In the long term I am going to retire in Australia but it is just a case of how soon that happens. I am enjoying my football at Dundee just now though.”
One man relieved that Killie are still in the cup was their scorer Pascali, who will be at Hampden to help interpret for Marcello Lippi when his fellow Italian makes the fifth-round draw. It would have been embarrassing for the defender to have to explain to the World Cup-winning manager that his team was already out.
Pascali said: ”Lippi is a hero of mine and I was in the city square in Milan celebrating when Italy won the World Cup in 2006. I just hope he knows me and then I will ask him why he did not pick me for Italy!”