Action and reaction to the afternoon’s five Scottish Premiership matches as Hearts take on St Mirren, Dundee travel to Motherwell and St Johnstone face Ross County.
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00:00Neal Critchley was appointed as the new Hearts head coach this week,
00:03telling fans to be optimistic and excited for the visit of St Mirren,
00:07who beat them four weeks ago. Stuart Mitchell, watch this one.
00:10The last time these two met, it turned out to be Steven Naismith's final match in charge
00:16in a 2-1 St Mirren victory in Paisley last month.
00:19Neal Critchley was announced as the new head coach and takes charge of his first match for Hearts,
00:24as the Tyne Castle club look to restart the season with a clean slate.
00:29Two changes for the new Hearts look.
00:31Grant is suspended after his red card against Aberdeen.
00:34Kingsley moves to the bench, with Benny Beningame making his fifth start of the season,
00:38and James Penrice in for his tenth.
00:40Yandanda knows Neal Critchley from their time in the Liverpool youth set-up.
00:45Three switches for St Mirren from their defeat against Dundee United.
00:49Richard Taylor is out after surgery.
00:51Boyd Muntz and Ido Weir are on the bench.
00:53Tanzer and Smith are replacements, along with Greg Kilty,
00:56who's making his first start of the season after signing a contract extension until 2027.
01:03And there is the new Hearts head coach, Neal Critchley.
01:06He says he understands the expectation at the Tyne Castle club,
01:09but that is something he is very comfortable with.
01:20Spittle.
01:22Fights well.
01:23Beningame, for Vargas, who flicks Shankland on the return,
01:26it's Kenneth Vargas!
01:29A sumptuous Hearts goal.
01:33And a first of the season for Kenneth Vargas.
01:37Vargas is pushed a little bit wide, but he composes himself to finish.
01:44Brilliant little flick.
01:46The pass, on the money, from Laurence Shankland.
01:54FULL-TIME WHISTLE
01:59Turns for Beningame, and he'll stretch it to the right side.
02:04Oyegoke.
02:06Dander collides with Olesanya.
02:10And now...
02:12Colin Stevens shows how many times he's had a word with Toyosi Olesanya.
02:18That's a yellow card, on the second of the afternoon, for St Mirren.
02:28Shankland got a touch.
02:29It's through for Rose!
02:32But he did well to catch it, it was coming through quickly.
02:36His last goal was just over two years ago,
02:39and a 3-2 win here against St Johnstone.
02:42FULL-TIME WHISTLE
02:47Whipped in to the back post, and that was Phillips arriving.
02:51He beat Oyegoke to the ball, and he knows that was a chance.
02:54Sneaking in unwatched, but it's a tight angle.
03:05The ball moved well by Beningame and Boateng.
03:08Here's Oyegoke.
03:10On to the left foot, goes for goal...
03:12Oh, it's a stunner!
03:21What a way to get your first heart of Midlothian goal
03:25from summer signing Daniel Oyegoke.
03:29He's loving it, and he has all the time to strike it beautifully with that left foot,
03:35and Eliri Balcombe had absolutely no chance.
03:39FULL-TIME WHISTLE
03:45Steven Robinson is not happy.
03:50Oh, and the mistake from Balcombe!
03:52And he gets there.
03:57Spittle didn't need to do much, but almost did enough.
04:05Matron's header on Mooney holds.
04:08Smothered in three, and does brilliantly to move away.
04:11Wimono crossing, Midoli was there, Gordon is hurt,
04:15the ball will drop wide.
04:17There was a delay from the referee,
04:20but Craig Gordon collapsed to the ground quite quickly.
04:26Urgent attention required.
04:28Devlin, moves for Roles.
04:33Spittle, for Boateng.
04:35Now St Myrn will look to attack the other way,
04:38but Hearts win it again.
04:40Forrest.
04:43For Yandanda!
04:45Side-netting.
04:50And it's in!
04:52And it's in!
04:54And it's in!
04:57They had James Wilson waiting towards the back post.
05:01It was almost a 3-on-2 for Hearts there,
05:03but St Myrn did get the numbers back to the cover.
05:11Yanda looking alive.
05:14And a clear push from Alex Gogic.
05:17The assistant alongside to see that one,
05:20and Hearts have the free kick.
05:22An almost Superman look.
05:25Alex Gogic there.
05:27Or is it Hulk Hogan?
05:31All they're looking to do here is be strong enough
05:33to defend this Hearts free kick.
05:38Danda delivers.
05:40And the header angled, it's dropping.
05:43And it's in!
05:49And it's young James Wilson
05:52in the centre of the celebration.
05:58James Wilson's just able to keep an eye on the ball.
06:01He just throws out a knee almost,
06:03and it's enough to take it over the line.
06:06It sums up St Myrn's performance this afternoon.
06:09It sums up the feeling around Hearts
06:12with a new manager in charge.
06:14Three goals and surely three points
06:17for Hearts of Midlothian.
06:23Is there a fourth for Hearts?
06:26Devlin, Spittel.
06:28Angles it!
06:30Perfectly!
06:32Beyond Balcombe.
06:34And it rounds off.
06:36A brilliant day for Hearts of Midlothian.
06:39And St Myrn are just standing watching.
06:41Nobody goes near Blair Spittel.
06:43And he just steers it away from the St Myrn goalkeeper.
06:46Hearts of Midlothian 4, St Myrn 0.
06:52Neil, first of all, many congratulations.
06:54Could that day have gone any better for you?
06:56Probably not, no.
06:58When you're going to sleep last night,
07:00you dream of a few goals and keeping a clean sheet.
07:03I made up for the players.
07:05They've been really receptive to me this week
07:07and the work that we've done.
07:09I think getting the first goal was massive.
07:12I'm obviously delighted for the supporters to go home,
07:14seeing a clean sheet, seeing some goals
07:16and make them happy again.
07:18It wasn't enough people took responsibility.
07:20Hearts didn't have to beat us, we beat ourselves.
07:22We lost possession of the ball for the first goal.
07:24When we're in control, good possession of it,
07:27we lose it too easily.
07:29And then from there, we didn't respond to that.
07:32The shape in the first half was OK.
07:34It didn't open us up.
07:36But we didn't work all the patterns we worked on.
07:39We didn't play.
07:41And then some people didn't stand up and take responsibility.
07:44We made stupid decisions, poor decisions.
07:46The goal, two people challenging each other on the line.
07:49The second goal, you have to hold your hands up
07:51and say, what a great finish.
07:52Poor decision-making all round.
07:54Not enough people stood up to be counted
07:56and take responsibility.
07:58And that's not acceptable.
07:59The performance is not acceptable.
08:00And it's on me.
08:01Arguably one of the worst performances
08:03or the worst performance since I've been here.
08:05And it's not acceptable.
08:08Neil Critchley gets off to the perfect start
08:10as his team demolish St Mirren at Tynecastle Barrie.
08:14As Brian said in his interview there,
08:16it really couldn't have gone any better.
08:18No, it's a perfect start for him coming up.
08:20Big club, great club.
08:22It's really helped him.
08:23You've seen how frustrated Steven Romson was there.
08:25He was very critical of his team.
08:27Obviously they had a bad day at the office.
08:29But it was a perfect start for Neil Critchley there.
08:31That would have done a power of good.
08:34It would have done.
08:35I mean, his appointment came with a mixed reception.
08:40Neil, what did you make of the appointment of Neil Critchley?
08:42I don't know.
08:44The process went through.
08:45The analytical side of it didn't.
08:46And Neil seemed to come out as a preferred candidate.
08:49And actually this week it's interesting
08:51when you hear maybe discerning voices
08:54or people saying they were underwhelmed.
08:56But you've got to give the guy a chance.
08:58And on the evidence and what happened today,
09:01I really liked what I saw.
09:03I thought Hearts have recruited well in the summer.
09:06I don't think Stevie was able to get the best
09:09from his new recruitments into the team
09:11that was already brilliant last year finishing third.
09:14But Neil certainly did it today.
09:16But he tweaked a few things to enable that to happen.
09:19So should you teen up your pack again?
09:21No, but if you want to go for it, you can.
09:22Right, show us what you tweaked.
09:23OK.
09:24You've got a bad habit of doing that.
09:26Sorry.
09:27Just ask me my opinion.
09:29So it's not like a 4-2-4.
09:31It virtually was a 4 and a 2.
09:34And those four players were allowed
09:36just to really be in touch with each other all the time.
09:39They were given very little defensive responsibilities today, Tomo.
09:43That meant that the two holding midfielders were backed up
09:46by sometimes James Penrice getting high,
09:49but you can see Vargas, Danda, Spittle,
09:51and of course Lauren Shankland as a forward,
09:53just so many times encouraged by the guys sitting in behind them
09:57just to go and express themselves
09:59and go in abandonment and a freedom to just try and go and create.
10:02It was almost like a front pairing.
10:04It wasn't like Lauren Shankland playing in a 10.
10:06It was a proper front two with Vargas and Shankland.
10:09Danda on the right was asked to supply ammunition
10:12to his two strikers.
10:13Spittle was encouraged to come inside
10:15and get in touch with the box,
10:17which we knew last season he was outstanding at Motherwell.
10:20He was a big part of Theo Baer's success.
10:22He's not a deep-lying midfielder for me.
10:25And I encouraged James Penrice.
10:27That's a brilliant goal.
10:28This is a proper old-school front two pairing goal.
10:32Watch this play.
10:33A little over.
10:34Spin round the corner.
10:35A delightful pass from Shankland.
10:37So good.
10:38And so often, Kenneth, he disappoints in the final third,
10:41but it's a really smart finish.
10:43And they just really kept that going in the second half.
10:46Lauren Shankland came off.
10:47He missed the Scotland games with a wee bit of a hamstring tweak.
10:51They've got games coming up,
10:52but Spittle, I'm delighted for him getting a goal today, Tommo,
10:55because I think it's been a hard introduction into Hearts.
10:58Particularly, it's a big club there.
11:00And I think he came with a reputation of creativity and goal-scoring,
11:04and he hasn't shown it yet.
11:05Today, being shoved slightly forward by Neil
11:07allowed him to show that he's creative
11:09and he's still got an eye for goal.
11:11He got his goal.
11:12The best goal of the game came from an unlikely source, Barry.
11:16Listen, I think when you go to the game today,
11:21as I said earlier with Stephen,
11:23his team was really poor, and that helped Hearts altogether.
11:27But you can see the structure there.
11:28The two sitting.
11:29The ball's moving.
11:30Hearts are trying to move the ball forward.
11:32Front four, as Neil was saying again,
11:34really causing them problems.
11:36And it's just fluid, and it's quick, and it's fast.
11:39And I just thought, look, there's a real lack of pressure
11:44from St Mirren here.
11:46They've got to be getting closer, but Hearts just kept moving it.
11:49I think they made, what was it, 15 passes or something?
11:52You can see them there.
11:53And then you're just watching Hearts just cutting through them at ease.
11:57And it's nice the man's just sitting watching the fluency of this.
12:03Yeah, but they've sucked him over to one side.
12:05But what they did well is keep their structure.
12:07Vargas stayed wide where Danda was, so he's taken up Danda's position.
12:10That stopped Tanzer going and engaging.
12:13Yeah.
12:14Oh, you go OK there.
12:15And I think that the space, Charles Dunne's got to get across.
12:19He should be inside Tanzer.
12:20He should be shooting a bit.
12:21Got to be 10 yards further across.
12:22But Tanzer is so focused on Vargas that it just allows the big fella
12:25to step in there.
12:26And I don't think anybody's expecting that quality finish.
12:28No.
12:29But it was a brilliant finish.
12:30I think what St Mirren have done there is just given him the opportunity
12:33to take a shot at goal by, you know, just opened up for him, didn't it?
12:36And the thing you want if you're on your weaker side is time to wind it up.
12:40I mean, he had oceans and oceans of space.
12:44And it was a fantastic finish.
12:46And from that moment on, although St Mirren changed the formation
12:49in the second half, it didn't really have the impact that Stevie would want.
12:53Yeah, St Mirren's trouble.
12:54Our first game in charge of St Johnstone for Simo Vallecari,
12:58so no sign of him in the dugout for their clash with Ross County.
13:03Paperwork issues mean that new St Johnstone head coach Simo Vallecari
13:06isn't in the dugout just yet, as Saints take on a Ross County side
13:09who haven't won away in the Premiership since September 2023.
13:18Saints make two changes from the defeat to Rangers a fortnight ago.
13:21It's a change of shape to a 4-3-1-2 set-up with Holt coming into midfield
13:25and Sidibe starting an attack as Esalen Kirk drop to the bench.
13:29Two changes for Ross County, Brophy returns to the starting XI
13:32to partner the in-form Hale in attack.
13:34Allardyce comes into midfield alongside Vandal and Nisbet
13:37with Chilvers and Denham kept in reserve.
13:41St Johnstone will be hoping to bring to an end
13:43a run of three straight home defeats in the Premiership.
13:45Saints fans haven't seen a home win in the league
13:47since they beat Hibernian 1-0 here last December.
13:56Dray Wright's ball forward finds Kempioka
13:58who looks for the run of Matt Smith who's filled by Elijah Campbell
14:03and that's an early booking for the Ross County full-back.
14:15Here's Kempioka, chance to run at Achille Wright.
14:20Couple of step-overs.
14:22Biding his time as the striker.
14:25Finds Raymond, good-looking ball in.
14:28And Nicky Clark playing in a more withdrawn role today.
14:33Certainly not shy in getting into the box, attacking it,
14:36attacking the ball and just missing the target.
14:42Clark sets one for Sidibe, good ball across to Kempioka!
14:48And St Johnstone take the lead at MacDermott Park.
14:52Benjamin Kempioka gets his third Premiership goal of the season.
14:58It was great awareness, great strength from Sidibe,
15:00a good ball in too, and Kempioka had the easiest of tasks
15:04to make it 1-0.
15:08County defender Ryan Leake was looking for a foul.
15:13There may yet be a VAR check which could overrule the goal.
15:22But the goal is good.
15:25It was a great ball across, and Kempioka made no mistake.
15:33Nielsen finds Clark.
15:38Now Wright.
15:40Touch runs away from him, and that's a heavy challenge
15:43from Elijah Campbell, who could be in trouble here.
15:46And it's his second yellow card for Elijah Campbell.
15:52The full-back sent off early on here.
15:56He was on under-20s duties with England over the international break,
16:00and brought crashing back down to earth as he returns to Premiership action.
16:13Nielsen.
16:15Raymond.
16:17Nielsen with...
16:19Licence to roam forward as the centre-back, it's a good run.
16:22Still going is Nielsen, back for Kempioka!
16:26And it's a big chance for the Swede to make it two.
16:29Great running, great play from Nielsen,
16:31the awareness as well to pick out the pass,
16:33and Kempioka just leaning back on the shot.
16:37Here's Smith.
16:39Looking for a chance to cross, sends the low ball in,
16:41it might come for Kempioka again!
16:47Hesitation on the celebration.
16:50But the goal is good, and Kempioka at the double.
16:57Makes it two-nil to St John's Stadium.
17:00And it's a goal for Kempioka.
17:03Makes it two-nil to St John's Stadium.
17:07Scored a pair of doubles in the League Cup group stage,
17:09this his first in the Premiership,
17:12and the power just took it beyond Laidlaw.
17:17It's a nice flick from Kempioka to find Adama Sidibe.
17:21The shot, an awkward one for Laidlaw.
17:23Sidibe following up.
17:26Just blazed it high and wide,
17:28head and hands from Adama Sidibe.
17:30The initial shot was squirming and awkward for the goalkeeper,
17:34but he maybe just had a bit too much time to think about the follow-up.
17:41Nice pass from Raymond.
17:43May break for Jason Holt.
17:46The midfielder with licence to carry sends the ball in.
17:49The header, touched on by Kempioka,
17:51and tops home by Nicky Clark!
17:55The St John'ston skipper...
17:58taps home from close range.
18:01He scored twice in the reverse fixture last month in Dingwall,
18:06and it looks as though he's made it three-nil to St John'ston back at McDermott.
18:10Great awareness from Kempioka,
18:12just descended across and Clark had the easiest of tasks.
18:19But there will be a VAR check which may overturn this one.
18:27And John Beaton signals that there was an offside in the build-up.
18:32I think it was the goalkeeper Laidlaw who was playing Clark offside.
18:37On comes Charlie Telford to roof,
18:39plays Scott Allardyce for Ross County.
18:44That's tenacious play from Jordan White.
18:47The striker with a chance to motor.
18:49Shot well blocked by Nielsen,
18:51Telford lines one up.
18:53Wide it goes.
18:58It's a nice flick from Hale.
19:01Lunging challenge from Charlie Telford on Sven Sprengler.
19:06And it's a straight red card for Charlie Telford.
19:10The shortest of cameos for the midfield player.
19:14He went in hard and he's caught Sprengler high,
19:17and it's a straight red card.
19:22Here's Wright.
19:23Finds Dame Kerry.
19:26Substitute with, licence to motor.
19:28That's neat play.
19:29Sends one to the floor,
19:30and across for Mackenzie Kirk.
19:34The young striker gets his first Premiership goal.
19:38And what a time to get it.
19:41Substitutes combining to great effect.
19:44Kerry and Kirk off the bench.
19:46And it's the young Northern Irelander
19:48who gets the first goal.
19:50Kerry and Kirk off the bench.
19:52And it's the young Northern Irishman
19:54who taps home from close range.
19:56May not have been the cleanest of connections,
19:58but he won't care one bit.
20:04Full-time at MacDermott Park,
20:06and it's a feel-good victory for the home side.
20:09Their first home win of the Premiership campaign.
20:12It finishes St Johnstone 3, Ross County 0.
20:16Listen, any win in this league is important,
20:19no matter where it comes and when it comes.
20:21But especially today, being at home,
20:23I think the supporters deserve that.
20:25The players definitely deserve that for the effort
20:27they've put in over the last two or three weeks.
20:29So we've got to be really pleased for them.
20:32And hopefully we can continue on that vein.
20:35And if we do, we give ourselves a chance
20:37to pick up more points as the season goes on.
20:39You don't want to be losing 2-0 and down to 10 men.
20:42But what I did say to them,
20:44let's go and work hard, put our bodies on the line.
20:47Again, really disappointed to get to the last minute of the game
20:51and concede a third goal.
20:53Because if we came away with a 2-0,
20:55I would have accepted it to a degree
20:57in terms of playing for a long time with 10 men and then 9 men.
21:02Finally, a home win for the St Johnstone fans to enjoy
21:05in front of new manager Simo Valarcari.
21:08He was watching from the stands.
21:09We've got to start with Elia Campbell sending off.
21:12It was 1-0 to St Johnstone at this point in time,
21:14but it's a big moment in the game.
21:17It probably kills any opportunity you're going to get back into the game.
21:23It needs to be something special.
21:25The first one, he's just pulled him back.
21:27It's pretty cheap for me.
21:28I think he just gets back in and gets round.
21:30There's enough cover.
21:31There's no need to do it.
21:33He's walking a tightrope then.
21:36And then this one, his timing is so off.
21:39It's such a lazy little stab challenge.
21:42You watch it here, he just knocks it down the side.
21:45He's so clumsy.
21:46And he knows as soon as he's made the challenge,
21:48he doesn't even try and protest his innocence.
21:50He knows it's coming.
21:52And then from that moment on, it was a wee shuffle job.
21:55Don, we were looking at it, Barry, upstairs,
21:57what he tried to do.
21:58He put Conor Randall left wing back.
22:01It was almost like a 5-2-2 at times.
22:03But then St Johnstone really upped the gears, didn't he?
22:06And it was done after the red card.
22:08Yeah, but there was another red card.
22:10Poor Charlie Telfer.
22:11He came on in three minutes.
22:13Chief just told us you were sent off in 15 seconds,
22:15so I don't feel as sorry for Charlie now.
22:18But it's a red card.
22:19It's reckless.
22:20See, when you go that high, that's coming from me.
22:24Obviously, I've been there myself.
22:26But I think when you go that high,
22:28especially in the modern day,
22:29it's the other angle that looks naughty.
22:32It does look a bit... This one.
22:34He's used the early pitch.
22:35I don't think he's meant it.
22:36I don't think there's malice in it,
22:37but you just simply can't...
22:39Reckless is the word, isn't it?
22:41He's out of control, isn't he?
22:42Aye, that's it.
22:43And we all know...
22:44You know when you're just on and you're wanting to make an impression.
22:46You've not got a second win yet,
22:47and you've blocked it, and you've mis-timed it.
22:49But he's led with his face.
22:51He's no malicious, he's no...
22:52But it's reckless.
22:53No, but it's red.
22:54Correct.
22:55It's reckless.
22:56But anyway, St Johnstone, let's talk about them,
22:57because it was their day,
22:58and they scored three goals at home in their first league win
23:01in a long, long time,
23:02and a really positive day for them.
23:04Yeah, great.
23:06I mean, Sidibe and Kim Piocca being back on the side together
23:10I think is really positive for Simo.
23:13You want those two guys playing together more often
23:16because they're a real threat.
23:18There was suggestion of a free kick there.
23:19There's not enough in it for me,
23:21but I don't think Feti does himself any favours.
23:24Look at this.
23:25He just tucks in there, blocks.
23:26Just blocks Kim Piocca.
23:27He just stands and lets him run off him
23:29and knocks it into the internet.
23:30It's such poor defending when you look at it.
23:34And again, this isn't much better, is it?
23:36No, it's just the same again.
23:39You stand there and just let it go right past him.
23:41Defensively, that's a basic you need to look.
23:43Look at his body shape, everything.
23:45There's no doubt.
23:46He's got to make sure he knows what's happening.
23:50I have to say, but what a ball.
23:51It is a great ball.
23:53And then this.
23:54St. John's are flying high now at the time.
23:56They've scored a few goals.
23:58Toying with them a wee bit.
23:59Great bit of skill and a great goal.
24:02It should give them such a lift, shouldn't it?
24:03It's a perfect start for the manager.
24:05Obviously, they've won that,
24:06but Don will be frustrated.
24:08He's sending offs again.
24:09We spoke about it earlier.
24:10In this league, when you go down to ten minutes so hard,
24:13they're going down to nine.
24:15So they've got a big job on him, Don, as well,
24:17to make sure that you can lift them
24:18and get them going again.
24:19The main problem seems to be the away form for Ross County.
24:22No way when, in over a year now,
24:25how does he go about fixing that?
24:27I mean, it sounds fairly simple,
24:29but how do you fix that away form?
24:31Brophy, Hale up top.
24:34It looks like a big solid back five.
24:37So you look like you'll go
24:38and will try and be solid foundation against St Johnson.
24:41But when you're getting men sent off,
24:43you're right up against it.
24:44When you throw into the mix,
24:45then you're defending poorly once you've lost men.
24:48That's a recipe for disaster.
24:49How he needs to do is just,
24:50he needs to find the result somewhere,
24:52grind one out and build on that.
24:54Good thing is for him next week,
24:55he's playing at home,
24:56so he doesn't need to worry about it for another week or so.
24:58No, he doesn't.
24:59Right, let's move on.
25:01Motherwell have enjoyed a good start to the season,
25:03but it's one game at a time for manager Stuart Kettlewell.
25:06And today's game was Dundee.
25:09It's all rosy at Fir Park right now,
25:11a League Cup semi-final to look forward to
25:13and five wins from their last six games.
25:15Dundee, meanwhile, have lost their last four
25:17and their one-league victory came back on the 10th of August.
25:20Will this one go to form?
25:22Having won their last three matches,
25:23it's no surprise Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell
25:25makes just one enforced change.
25:27Paul McGinnis, a thigh injury and drops out,
25:29but Dan Casey is back from suspension.
25:31The late collapse against Comarnach
25:33has encouraged Tony Docherty to change four,
25:35including his goalkeeper as John McCracken
25:37is replaced by Trevor Carson.
25:38Selah suspended, Tiffany and Portales are on the bench.
25:41Astley, Robertson and Fraser are all start.
25:46Dundee with just one win in their last 15 Premiership games,
25:48stretching back to last season.
25:50One and 11 away trips in the league.
25:53They could do with a big performance here at Fir Park
25:56this afternoon to try and reverse recent momentum.
26:01Here's Andy Halliday for Motherwell.
26:02Oh, he slipped it to Zach Robinson
26:04and that's a really good last ditch challenge
26:07from Clark Robertson.
26:11Excellent vision from Halliday to lay it onto Robinson,
26:14but crucial touch.
26:21Wilson.
26:23Take it by Halliday, he's going after it
26:25and hits the deck and wants a penalty.
26:29And the referee, Ewan Anderson, says no.
26:32Halliday is adamant.
26:36Takes it really well, Andy Halliday, on the chest.
26:40But no penalty.
26:46It's floated to the back post and Cometeo meets it
26:49and Maine was lurking as well for Dundee.
26:53And that goes down as a big chance for Tony Docherty's side.
26:58Lovely floated ball from Fraser.
27:00Cometeo comes from some distance to get a flush header on it.
27:04Can't steer it goalwards and neither can Curtis Maine.
27:15Cometeo.
27:17Miller picks up.
27:19Tries to lash it forwards and it breaks for Lyle Cameron
27:22and Dundee are going up the other end now.
27:26Murray.
27:28Murray.
27:31For Cameron.
27:32Good sliding challenge but Cameron emerges with the ball again.
27:36Here's Larkesh.
27:37Murray's header and it drops for Lyle Cameron.
27:44First blood Dundee at Far Park.
27:49And it's a big one for the travelling support
27:52and their Dundee sides.
27:55Tony Docherty not interested in overhyping it.
27:58Plenty of time left in this game.
28:01But it's well worked.
28:03Cameron involved in the build-up.
28:06Tenacious to get it back.
28:08Teasing delivery from Larkesh
28:10and Cameron stationed to slide it into the bottom corner.
28:16Such an unerring finish from the Dundee midfielder
28:19who grabs his first league goal of the season
28:22and it's Motherwell now.
28:23Dundee 1.
28:28Gordon.
28:30Stamatopoulos.
28:31Brilliant take and then got to the seconds as well.
28:40Route 1 from Motherwell proves effective
28:43on this occasion.
28:44Testing the Dundee centre-backs.
28:47Good touch.
28:48Finish not so good.
28:53Cameron.
28:55Well done.
28:56Dundee perhaps scarred from that late collapse
28:59against Kilmarnock.
29:00They might need to build on this advantage
29:03as Murray takes.
29:05Fraser.
29:07Slides it to Curtis Main.
29:11Well they've got plenty behind that.
29:14And he bigs it up.
29:16Dundee.
29:18Well they've got plenty behind that.
29:21And a big Dundee number 9.
29:25Just playing in a little half space.
29:34Motherwell.
29:35The set-piece kings of the Premiership so far
29:37and a B8.
29:41Got something on that.
29:42Miller again.
29:43Such an effective cross over the ball
29:45but a B8 can't steer it on target.
29:51Dravkovsky.
29:55Maswanise.
29:56On to the right foot.
29:57Cross.
29:59Cometeo's header.
30:00Miller's strike.
30:04Brilliantly struck from the 18-year-old's
30:08Motherwell.
30:09Four up front.
30:10Going for this.
30:11As a cross comes in.
30:12Into the ground from Ingram.
30:14And Tavares spoons it over the crossbar.
30:19And that was probably Motherwell's best chance.
30:22He's in a good position.
30:23Poor defensive header.
30:24Can't keep it down.
30:28And that was probably Motherwell's best chance.
30:31He's in a good position.
30:32Poor defensive header.
30:33Can't keep it down.
30:34Dundee.
30:37Can they...
30:39get to the full-time whistle?
30:43Dravkovsky pinches it.
30:46Here's Miller.
30:48Motherwell threatening.
30:50Last chance, surely.
30:51It's hacked away by Larkesh.
30:54And it's a huge victory for Dundee.
30:56Just their second in the Premiership this season.
30:59And it's a huge victory for Dundee.
31:01Just their second in the Premiership this season.
31:05It's a first league clean sheet of the season
31:08for Tony Docherty's side.
31:11And the fans loved every minute of it.
31:13A resilient display, much needed
31:15after the calamitous collapse at Kilmarnock.
31:19And Dundee players take the applause
31:21of their supporters.
31:23It's finished Motherwell 0, Dundee 1.
31:26I give the credit to the whole squad.
31:28Because, as I say, in that international break,
31:30of course we identified that.
31:31It's obvious we hadn't kept that clean sheeting.
31:33And we worked and we worked on the training field
31:36and in the analysis room.
31:37And we made sure that going into that situation again
31:40we would be strong.
31:41And I think we stood up to that.
31:42I think the players got a lot of criticism.
31:43Myself included.
31:44Criticism for maybe capitulating.
31:46But we made sure that we would come back stronger.
31:48And I'm just absolutely delighted
31:50and really proud of the players
31:51that they put in that type of performance
31:54to keep the clean sheet.
31:55But don't forget, there's a lot of good play as well.
31:58Good technical play.
31:59So for me it was a complete performance
32:01away from home against a really good side.
32:03So I couldn't be more pleased.
32:04But all it is now is it's a platform.
32:06So we've got a home game against St. John's now.
32:08So we need to build on that performance today.
32:10It was my greatest fear coming off the good run
32:13and the international break.
32:14And it was something that we tried
32:15really, really hard to ward against
32:17was coming out, which we looked dazed.
32:20Our decision making was poor.
32:21Our quality in the ball was poor
32:23pretty much throughout the day.
32:24And it just goes down to a real bad day for us.
32:27It's not to vindicate it.
32:29But I'm dealing with human beings at the end of the day.
32:31And we fell short of our standards.
32:33A deserved win for Dundee
32:35who jump into the top six.
32:37And Neil, it was Lyle Cameron
32:38with a very composed finish that won it.
32:40It's a crackin' wee finish.
32:42It's actually a more difficult finish than it looks.
32:45Barry and I were talking during the break there
32:49and watching the game when
32:51there's so many things go wrong
32:53in the passage of play leading up to it.
32:55I mean, it's a heavy pass.
32:56It's a heavy touch.
32:57There's a ricochet comes in.
32:59But Cameron is central to pretty much everything about it.
33:03He continues his run in here.
33:04But when it comes back to him,
33:05it's almost like a penalty finish.
33:07He turns his foot on it.
33:09He closes it over and reverses it into the side net.
33:12And when you watch it from behind the goal here,
33:14there's not a great deal of room for him to do it.
33:16He's such an important player for him, isn't he?
33:18He's brilliant.
33:19He's small in stature but big in character.
33:22He's brave.
33:23He takes risks in passing.
33:25And that's a brilliant finish.
33:27And as Doc was saying,
33:29it was a really good team performance.
33:31But he sort of epitomises Dundee just now.
33:33He's really taken over from MacEwan going to Celtic.
33:37I think when you look at Dundee,
33:40I know they said about that run,
33:42but they were performing well.
33:43That's the thing.
33:44You knew it was going to come, didn't you?
33:45Yeah, yeah.
33:46They were playing really well.
33:47I watched a good bit of them this year
33:48and they were performing really well.
33:50So they deserved that win the other day.
33:53But I think for Motherwell,
33:55when you look at Stewart,
33:57he was going so well going into the international break.
33:59He said it there.
34:00And that's hard for you
34:01because you want to just keep momentum going.
34:03You do, but they're still in a really good position.
34:05They're also in the League Cup semi-final.
34:07You know, just one result isn't going to turn it.
34:09They've got to put that to bed,
34:11although they do have Celtic next.
34:13No, I know that.
34:14But as I said,
34:15Stewart's done a terrific job there
34:17because obviously he was under a bit of pressure,
34:19but you stick with him
34:20and you let him get through it
34:21and he comes through it.
34:22Everybody has their ups and downs,
34:24but they've had a real good start to the season.
34:26And as I said,
34:27that win for Dundee,
34:28on top of that,
34:29takes Dundee right up.
34:30I think they're seventh now?
34:31Sixth.
34:32Sixth, so...
34:33We're going to do the table in a wee second.
34:34Give it all to me.
34:35Give it all to me.
34:36I'm jumping ahead of you.
34:37I'm jumping ahead of you.
34:38No, you can see Stewart was disappointed,
34:40but I think Dundee have done well this year
34:42in their performances.
34:44They probably feel as though
34:45they should have more points than they do,
34:47but what they got today was a clean sheet
34:49and I think that will really,
34:50really please Tony Doggerty
34:52because they have been losing goals.
34:54You know, he's talking about that
34:55Komarnik game,
34:56but to get the clean sheet is massively important.
34:59Well, you said he's gone away
35:00on the international break,
35:01analysed it to death,
35:02see where he can do things better,
35:05but ultimately when the players take the pitch,
35:08they've got to have a responsibility
35:09to come together,
35:10work hard from front to back
35:12and that clean sheet will probably
35:13please Doc and the team
35:15just as much as winning the match.
35:17You know, if they get a clean sheet
35:18and a draw,
35:19would they have been happy with it?
35:21The ice on their cakes are three points.
35:23Certainly is.
35:24Okay, let's now have a wee look at the table.
35:26A hectic day in the Scottish Premiership
35:29and after Aberdeen's draw at Celtic Park,
35:32they remain on the same points at the top.
35:34Dundee United's late winner
35:36has them in fourth and 15 points.
35:38Dundee up to six on nine points
35:41St Johnston's first home win in over a year
35:43has them in eighth.
35:44Hearts win has them above their city rivals
35:46Hibs on goal difference
35:47who are now bottom of the Premiership
35:50and as ever,
35:51there is plenty coming up
35:52over the next week or so.
35:53Starting tomorrow morning,
35:54Kilmarnock against Rangers.
35:56Coverage of that for 11.45.
35:59Off the ball, we'll follow that
36:01at three o'clock on Radio Scotland.
36:02SWPL, well tomorrow's offering
36:04is Hibs against Rangers at four on Alapa.
36:07Premiership high lengths
36:08with Jonathan at 7.15.
36:10SWPL highlights on Monday,
36:12seven o'clock with Jane
36:14and Scottish Cup second round three,
36:16the Rovers against Stranraer
36:17at 7.30 next Friday.
36:20And that is about it for tonight
36:22on probably the most frantic Saturday
36:24of the season so far.
36:25One game good to go tomorrow.
36:27Can it live up to the excitement?
36:39The world has ever seen.
36:47So don't let it go.
36:48We can make some more.
37:00Don't you know?
37:01We can live.