Soccer

Tony Docherty urges Dundee to pick up where they left off before long break

Tony Docherty wants Dundee to retain recent positivity (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Tony Docherty wants Dundee to retain recent positivity (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Tony Docherty wants Dundee to carry on from where they left off when they resume action against Ross County on Tuesday night.

Before the original fixture against County on October 7 was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Dens Park, the Dark Blues had drawn 2-2 at home to Kilmarnock before a goalless draw against Hibernian at Easter Road made it just one defeat in five.

Dundee’s game at Aberdeen was called off at the weekend due to Storm Babet but Docherty is looking for his side to keep the positivity going against Malky Mackay’s Staggies, who are in 11th place, behind the Taysiders on goal difference.

He said: “The players are champing at the bit. We haven’t had a game since the 30th of September.

“We need to remember that we had real momentum going forward, it was a positive performance against Hibs away from home and prior to that we had a really positive performance going down to 10 men against Kilmarnock and getting a point.

“The players are in a good place now. It is important that we keep the confidence levels.

“So we need to maintain those performance levels, maintain the momentum we had. Although it has been tough not having a game for three weeks, I can’t praise the boys highly enough in terms of their training.

“We had a bounce game, a testimonial game and a couple of closed-doors games to keep them ticking over and even the training session we had this morning, I can really feel a hunger about them to get back into things so looking forward to the game.

“I get the feeling that the boys are up for it and looking forward to it.

“Ross County are in the same position, they haven’t had a game in that time either.

“They ask questions of you, free-kicks and long throws, and we need to be up for that.

“We realise how tough an opponent Ross County are and Malky always puts out a competitive team.”