MAYBE - just maybe - there’s life in Dundee yet. At least that was the case during Saturday’s thrilling derby, where Mark McGhee’s team played with such fire and brimstone, word has it the local priest was put on standby.
For so long it seemed what Lenny did to George might have been the merciful thing to do with the Dee, but those suggestions might need some revision. Inspired by the magical swish of Charlie Adam’s left boot and with just five points between them and St Johnstone, the mood seems to be shifting in the blue half of the city; and they're adamant it won’t be over until the fat lady starts making her way up Dens Road.
“I think we have always believed it is there,” said striker Danny Mullen. “We are building something and now we are into the split, we will try to win some games and really put the pressure on St Johnstone above us.
“The confidence has always been there, it is just that sometimes it has not happened for us.
“But since the gaffer has come in, he has got us believing that we are going to keep it tight until the split, which we have done to give ourselves a fighting chance.
“We will push on from here.”
While the 2-2 draw means it’s still 18 years and now 13 short walks since they last won at the home of Dundee United, they can’t have come much closer in that time; and they probably haven’t played much better this season, either.
It would have been easy for Dundee to fold when Charlie Mulgrew’s stunning free kick made it two to Tam Courts’ United, but Dundee weren’t for going down without a fight. A Benjamin Siegrist mistake handed Mullen an easy finish - his seventh of the season - before Adam hit the ball with such mesmerising dip to level it wouldn’t have looked out of place at Augusta.
“He has that in his locker,” Mullen added. “I laid it off to him, he took a good touch and it has opened up.
“I think it moved a little bit when he hit it which put the keeper off but it was a great finish. Charlie has played at the top level and is a quality player.
“He is kicking on but he has still got it as you saw today.”
If Saturday’s draw might finally kickstart Dundee’s season, it’s already been one to savour for their city rivals. With top six secured for the first time since they returned to the Premiership, they have as good a chance as anyone of finishing in that final European spot and Mulgrew sees no reason why they can't.
"It would be amazing, I would love to bring European football here,” said Mulgrew, who enjoyed many a continental jaunt with Celtic. “I think all the lads and management team would love it and it would be a great achievement if we could do it. It's up to us to put in the performances to try and do it.
"That's got to be the aim and we have some big games coming up now."
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