Gary Bowyer hailed the resilience of his Dundee players after they sealed a return to the cinch Premiership with a 5-3 win over Queen’s Park in Friday night’s Championship title shootout.
The Dens Park side edged a thrilling encounter at Ochilview to bounce back to the top flight at the first time of asking following their relegation a year ago.
“It was a magnificent effort from the players tonight,” Bowyer, who was appointed Dundee manager last summer, told BBC Scotland. “They deserve it, they’ve been brilliant all season.
“We only signed one permanent player and we’ve brought lads in on loan but the way they’ve stuck together and the resilience they have shown has been fantastic.
“Everybody said Dundee are favourites, Dundee should do this, Dundee should do that, but you’ve got to go out and do it. These lads went out and did it and I’m delighted for them.”
Bowyer went through a full range of emotions in a topsy-turvy first half that ended 3-3 before second-half strikes from Lyall Cameron and Luke McCowan gave Dundee a two-goal cushion over a Queen’s side who knew they needed a win to overhaul the Dark Blues at the summit.
“It was a fantastic start, then it wasn’t such a great start, and the goals we conceded were poor but we’ll let that go now obviously,” said Bowyer.
“It was just absolutely amazing the resilience they had and the way they fought. They kept coming back. The spirit and character they had was just brilliant.”
After seeing his players lift the Championship trophy at Ochilview following a pitch invasion by jubilant supporters, Bowyer is intent on making an impact in the top flight.
“The club have now got to stop being a yo-yo club and try and get established in the Premiership,” he said. “We’ll go and attack it next season. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done both on and off the pitch for that but that’s not for tonight.”
Queen’s Park slipped from second to third and must now come through six play-off matches if they are to win promotion, starting with a two-legged showdown with Partick Thistle.
Manager Owen Coyle admitted his side’s defending proved costly.
“Attacking-wise we know what we’ve got in our team but I think over the course of the season our Achilles heel has been defending situations and we certainly didn’t do that well tonight,” he said. “Congratulations to Dundee but the goals we gave away…
“There was so much to be pleased about but the bottom line is we’ve lost a game where we could have been champions.
“If we are to get to the Premiership this year we’ve got to do it through the play-offs. We’re hurt and disappointed but we’ll get the players lifted and we’ll go again.”
Jim Goodwin praises partying Dundee United players after promotion secured
Jim Goodwin praised his partying Dundee United players for handling the pressure and expectation of being cinch Championship title favourites as they celebrated their return to the Premiership at the first time of asking.
Almost 10,000 Tangerines supporters rolled up at Tannadice to see homegrown striker Chris Mochrie net in the 78th minute and secure a 1-0 win over 10-man Ayr, a result that sparked a jubilant pitch invasion at full-time.
Although they are not arithmetically assured of finishing top of the table just yet, United are six points clear of second- placed Raith Rovers, who would need an unrealistic goal difference swing of 36 over the closing two matches of the campaign to catch the champions-elect.
“The players are enjoying themselves,” said Goodwin. “Anybody who has been in this position before will tell you it’s more a sense of relief than anything else, especially when the expectation and pressure is all on you as a group of players and staff.
“It’s not easy to get over the line but the boys have handled that level of expectation really well, particularly the younger players. It’s been a really enjoyable league campaign.
“It’s great that we’ve been able to do this with a couple of games to spare. We can relax now over the next couple of weeks, we can enjoy our training and look forward to the celebrations we’re going to have after the Partick game with our supporters.”
Goodwin joked that he had no concerns about his side’s partying causing them to squander their healthy goal-difference advantage over the closing two weekends of the campaign.
“Defensively we’ve been solid and scored a huge amount of goals and that has put us in the position that we’re in today where we’re able to celebrate,” he said.
“Of course, it’s not mathematically impossible (to be caught) and people will still say we need to wait a little while before we can be crowned as champions but given how well we’ve been defensively, I don’t see us losing that amount of goals in the next couple of games, regardless of how hard we party over the next few days.”
Ayr boss Scott Brown was frustrated by the decision to send off Nick McAllister on the hour mark after he caught Glenn Middleton with his elbow.
“I thought our lads were exceptional today,” he said. “For us, it is a very harsh red card. But if you put your elbow up, you give the referee that decision to make.
“Fair play to Dundee United for winning the game and all the best for them next season. But I was proud of my lads today.”
Arbroath suffer another defeat as Morton secure victory
Two goals in as many second-half minutes were enough to secure Morton a 2-1 Scottish Championship victory at already-relegated Arbroath.
Zak Delaney had the ball in the net for the hosts in the 11th minute at Gayfield, but his potential opener was chalked off for offside and it remained goalless at the break.
Robbie Crawford broke the deadlock with a lovely curled finish after 56 minutes, and the visitors doubled their advantage when George Oakley slotted home.
Michael McKenna tapped home Leighton McIntosh’s delivery to deny Morton the clean sheet, but they could not find an equaliser as they slumped to an eighth straight defeat.
Chris Mochrie effort enough as Dundee United celebrate return to Premiership
Dundee United celebrated their return to the cinch Premiership at the first time of asking after substitute Chris Mochrie’s 78th-minute goal broke the resistance of 10-man Ayr to secure a 1-0 victory and spark a Tannadice title party.
A crowd of almost 10,000 home supporters looked like they might end up frustrated as Scott Brown’s stubborn side kept them at bay, but the dismissal of Nick McAllister on the hour paved the way for Jim Goodwin’s team to get the win they needed, resulting in a post-match pitch invasion.
Although they are not mathematically assured of finishing top of the Championship just yet – second-placed Raith Rovers would have to overturn a six-point deficit, while requiring an unrealistic goal difference swing of 36 over the closing two matches of the campaign.
A run of just five wins from 12 league matches in the opening months of 2024 had threatened to derail their title bid, but United regained their poise at the perfect time, with four consecutive wins over Rovers, Queen’s Park, Morton and now Ayr taking them clear of their rivals when it mattered most.
Goodwin can now start preparing with clarity for a return to the top flight, 11 months after his side were officially relegated from the top flight.
The absence of key midfielder Ross Docherty from the teamsheet through injury served as a pre-match blow for the expectant home support.
However, the hosts started with intent and Kai Fotheringham shot over from just outside the box before Tony Watt’s low angled shot was blocked in a crowded six-yard box. Fotheringham then headed wide from a Glenn Middleton cross.
Ayr had a couple of threatening moments when Kurt Willoughby saw an angled effort from inside the box deflected behind before Mark McKenzie had a low shot blocked.
At the other end, Craig Sibbald’s powerful strike from 25 yards out was deflected just wide.
United finished the half strongly and Fotheringham saw an attempt deflected just over the crossbar before Watt scuffed a tame effort straight at Josh Clarke after strike-partner Louis Moult flicked a throw-in into his path.
The home support were starting to suspect they might be made to wait a while longer, but a straight red card for McAllister after he caught Middleton with an elbow gave them fresh impetus for the closing half hour.
Moult shot over from a Middleton cross and Sam McClelland and Fotheringham both headed wide from corners as United continued to be frustrated.
But they eventually made the breakthrough with 12 minutes remaining when substitute Mochrie – who had just entered the fray two minutes previously – forced home the rebound from eight yards out after Watt’s header from Wotherspoon’s cross had been blocked by Clarke.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
