Dundee

Watch Sportscene analysis of Dundee's start to the season.

Watch all the highlights of St Mirren's 1-0 win over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Dundee's 1-0 defeat against St Mirren.

Here's what some of you said:

John: Reasonable effort considering no Simon Murray. However, I fear it's not good enough and Steven Pressley's living on borrowed time. We need to be more aggressive and offensive. Attack is often the best form of defence.

Gary: Unfortunately it highlights the amount of work Murray puts in each week. Never mind everyone saying we're a one-man team, but there's too many others that never match his work rate, so much so that when he's missing we're almost two men down. Instead, the rest should be lifting their performance, otherwise we'll end up with nothing.

Albert: Although a defeat today, I can see encouraging signs in our set up. It was always going to be tough without our talisman Murray. Dust ourselves down and go again next match.

Phil: It was always going to be difficult missing the goal threat from Murray and the creativity of Yan Dhanda. I thought there wasn't much between them for large periods of the game, which says a lot for this young team against a strong St Mirren especially at home, I'm confident that if Murray and Dhanda had been playing Dundee could have earned at least a point.

Adam: There's just no entertainment with this Dundee side. Taking away the Livingston game, every other game, we've played to keep the game 0-0 and invariably we are not even good at that. I've watched worse Dundee sides; I've yet to watch a more boring one than this side.

Alan: Woeful yet again, never looked like scoring and playing football so dull that the fans are deserting in droves. Player recruitment has been poor, the manager looks out of his depth and you can give a cast-iron guarantee that Aberdeen will get their first league goals and win of the season next weekend!

Killian Phillips' first-half goal against Dundee secured St Mirren's second Scottish Premiership win of the season and moved Stephen Robinson's side third in the table.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley: "There was very little in the game. Simon Murray's always going to be a big miss.

"St Mirren, without doubt, finished the first half the stronger team. We created some good moments in the second half. We defended our set plays with great effect.

"Something we put a big onus on is attacking set plays and set plays can be the difference in this league between being a top-six club and being a bottom-six club and today, our attacking set plays were really poor.

"The signs are there, we're not far away. I felt we should've got something, we should've certainly got something."

Dundee midfielder Tony Yogane is not satisfied with his performances so far this season and believes there is a lot more to come from him. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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St Mirren striker Mikael Mandron will have a toe injury assessed. Captain Mark O'Hara has had an injection in a foot injury after scans and is unlikely to be involved but should be back next week, while Marcus Fraser is working his way back from an ankle injury.

Yan Dhanda is still suspended for Dundee, who have Paul Digby back in training after a calf injury. Mexico Under-20 international Cesar Garza is on international duty.

Alfie Robinson
BBC Sport Scotland

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Joe Westley believes Dundee's first league win of the season can be the catalyst for a strong run of form after the thrilling 3-2 victory over Livingston last weekend hoisted the Dark Blues into the top six.

The 20-year-old striker, who scored his first goal for the club in the win, highlighted the importance of the result for both his own confidence and the team's as they look to make it two in a row by beating hosts St Mirren on Saturday.

"Yeah, the manager spoke to us after the game and said winning breeds confidence," Westley said.

"Getting that first win was massive for us. Everyone is buzzing, and it's the best feeling in football. Now we need to take that into the next game.

"When you've got that first goal looming over you, it's great to get it out of the way and just kick on from there. It's given me a lot of confidence.

"Looking at the table is not something we focus on too much. A win this weekend will obviously push us up, but we just need to focus on how we're going to beat them."

Off the pitch, Westley has settled in well at Dundee following his summer arrival from Burnley on a three-year deal.

"I'm loving it here," he said. "The lads and the staff have made me feel welcome from day one. We've got a really close group, and you saw that last weekend when we reacted together after conceding two goals.

"It's a massive thing to have that camaraderie and togetherness, especially with the challenges that come throughout the season.

"We've got a lot of quality in the squad. Once everything clicks, I think we'll be a force to be reckoned with.

"We've got the attacking options, and once we get those relationships going, I think we'll be dangerous."

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• Cameron Congreve has recorded three assists in Dundee's past two league games, while an assist against St Mirren would make him only the second player aged 21 or younger to assist a goal in three successive Scottish Premiership appearances since the start of 2021-22, after 20-year-old Oluwaseun Adewumi also did so for Dundee in March/April last season – when his third match came against St Mirren.

• St Mirren have lost their past two league meetings with Dundee, as many as their previous 13 against them in the Scottish Premiership beforehand (W8 D3 L2).

• Having won 2-1 on their last league visit to St Mirren last December, Dundee could win back-to-back away games at the Buddies in the top flight for the first time since January 2015 (three in a row).

• St Mirren have only lost one of their past 11 league games (W4 D6), a 1-0 defeat to Celtic on matchday one this season. At home, the Buddies are unbeaten in seven league matches (W3 D4) since a 5-2 loss to Celtic in March.

• After their 3-2 win over Livingston, Dundee could pick up back-to-back league victories for the first time since March 2024. The Dark Blues have, though, failed to win their past 12 Scottish Premiership games that have come after a win (D3 L9), and have followed up each of their last four victories with a defeat in their next league game.

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Dundee goalkeeper Trevor Carson has reunited with Tony Docherty by joining Championship side Ross County on loan until the end of the season.

Carson, 37, has made 54 appearances for the Dark Blues since arriving from St Mirren on a three-year deal in summer 2023.

But the Northern Ireland international has featured just twice this season, in the League Cup group stage, and the recent signing of Kieran O'Hara pushed him further down the pecking order.

Carson will now look to help relegated County, who are led by former Dundee boss Docherty, recover from the poor start to the season in the Championship.

"Trevor adds fantastic experience and mentality to the squad having made over 300 career appearances," said Docherty.

"He's a top professional having excelled at both club and international level, and we know he'll bring real quality and leadership to the squad."

Dundee goalkeeper Trevor Carson's proposed move to Ross County is back on. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

Claire Thomson
BBC Sport Scotland

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Steven Pressley hopes Dundee can continue to "get their reward" for their early-season hard work and togetherness with victory against "good example" St Mirren.

Pressley picked up his first Scottish Premiership win as Dundee manager after a 97th-minute penalty denied Livingston a heroic comeback last Saturday.

"The weekend demonstrated a togetherness within the group that makes me proud and helps to build foundations for the future," the Dens Park boss said.

"We're at the early stages of development. This season will be a challenge with some really tough moments, but we're all fighting for the same cause and working exceptionally hard to be better.

"You can only learn from experiences. We were 2-0 up against Livingston then lost two goals, so we'll learn from that and hopefully improve.

"The players are a credit to themselves and a real enjoyment for me to work with, so we're getting that reward."

Dundee make the trip to Stephen Robinson's "exemplary" Premier Sports Cup semi-finalists this weekend, but Pressley hopes his side can "build momentum" with back-to-back victories.

"St Mirren are a very good side and good example to clubs like us," he added.

"They recruit very well for their style of play and are a really, strong physical team. It's a real challenge going there and a game we're excited about.

"Another win would build that momentum, which is huge in football. If we can keep moving forward then you never know."

Claire Thomson
BBC Sport Scotland

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to face St Mirren in the Premiership this weekend.

Here are the main points:

• Pressley believes Dundee's first Premiership win last weekend has "enhanced the spirit and unity" within the team.

• He adds: "It demonstrated a togetherness within the group that makes me proud and helps to build foundations for the future."

• Pressley admits the season will be a challenge as the team is still in the "early stages of development" but he insists the players are all working hard to improve.

• Despite the 3-2 victory over Livingston, he hopes the players will learn from losing two goals and how to manage nerves during games, but has been impressed with his team's attacking, highlighting Simon Murray's return to form and Joe Westley's first goal for the club.

• St Mirren, who reached the Premier Sports semi-final last weekend, will be a "real challenge" and are a "good example to clubs like us". Pressley adds: "They recruit really well for their style of play and are a really strong, physical team."

• He wants another win for Dundee to help build momentum, but says: "The difficulty when you're trying to build during the season is you're also exposed to the harshness of winning and losing games, which can dent confidence and sometimes you can't see progression because of the confidence factor."

• Pressley admits he has been "fortunate to inherit good individuals that have helped to integrate new players into the club and build togetherness", but believes there is still an imbalance in the squad that he is keen to improve on in the next window.

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

Dundee have their first league victory of the Steven Pressley era - and it came in the kind of dramatic fashion that could set the tone for what's to follow.

From 2-0 up to being pegged back level on the 83rd minute, it felt as though the familiar habit of surrendering late leads from the Tony Docherty tenure was about to return.

Instead, Dundee pushed through adversity and found a 97th-minute winner that feels symbolic, as if there has been a shift in mentality.

The big question before kick-off was whether Cameron Congreve could build on his impact off the bench last week. He answered emphatically, setting up two goals and prompting supporters into rising off their seats with his direct and flashy style. He was the deserved man of the match.

Creative sparks are beginning to emerge across the side. Tony Yogane looks close to adding numbers to his record, Yan Dhanda will soon return from suspension as a key source of invention, and Charlie Reilly marked his comeback from injury with the decisive intervention by winning the late penalty that Callum Jones coolly dispatched for victory.

Between Simon Murray and Joe Westley, Dundee also carry the goalscoring options for everything to come full circle and it makes the potential of this team a little bit more visible.

For now, Congreve takes centre stage. If he can sustain this level then he could steal a bigger spotlight like our last Welsh loanee, Owen Beck.

The Dark Blues finally have some wind in their sails. The hope is we continue to witness this trajectory of improvement.

We asked for your views on Dundee's 3-2 win against Livingston.

Here's what some of you said:

Gary: Made hard work of it, but it's a first win and a good three points. Steven Pressley said the team performed reasonably well for 70 minutes - it was in the 10 directly after that we nearly lost it as he'd weakened the team with his substitutions.

We should've known Livi were always likely to keep pushing, even if they were gifted two goals, but we should never have been in the position of needing a 97th-minute winner. So frustrating watching the team under no real threat, yet still passing backwards instead of turning on the ball and moving forward. That'll hopefully change as confidence in how they can get forward grows.

Carl: Good team picked and the subs, especially Cameron Congreve and Charlie Reilly, improved our performance and were made at the right time. The game changed after Livi scored their first goal, and became nerve-racking after their second, bringing back shades of last season! The guys never gave up however, and deservedly earned our first victory playing with more confidence than in previous games.

Gordon: Better from Dundee. Some of the substitutes were not yet up to the standard of the starting 11. Slowly, we seem to have improved our attacking skills.

Iain: What a relief! Our first win of the season. Disappointing to let a 2-0 home lead slip, but who can argue with a penalty winner in extra time? I'll take that.

Andy: Great to get the first three points of the season on the board. Jon McCracken was excellent again with some top saves and decent performances throughout the team. Had it not been for that shocking Rangers penalty award at Ibrox we would be sitting in third place. Well done lads.

Ewan: Great to get the first win of the season on the board. Shame it's only our second at home in 2025. Struggling to work out Pressley's thought process behind taking off our two goal-scorers and assist-provider at 2-0 up, but relieved we managed to get three points over the line. I'm sure it was entertaining for the neutral, not so much for those in dark blue.

Dundee finally got their Scottish Premiership season going with a first win of the campaign.

It came in dramatic fashion against Livingston, but what did you make of the game?

• Match report

• Have your say

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley told Sportsound: "I thought for 70 minutes we performed reasonably well.

"I thought we were far more creative than we have been in recent weeks.

"I thought we showed courage as I wanted us to be more courageous in possession and I thought we did that. But also courage to go and win the game.

"And having been 2-0 up, with Livingston them showing a great reaction, we could have gone under. But no, Jon McCracken makes an incredible save, we go up the other end and get the penalty.

"I had more than my heart in my mouth [at penalty review].

"I was very hopeful. But when it's made and he's asked to review it you always have that concern. But thankfully it was given."

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Dundee midfielder Yan Dhanda drops out through suspension following his red card against Motherwell.

Paul Digby (calf) remains out and Mexico Under-20 international Cesar Garza is on international duty. Charlie Reilly is back in contention after a broken collarbone.

Shane Blaney and Jeremy Bokila have returned to training and will be assessed ahead of Livi's trip to Tayside. Cammy Kerr, Cristian Montano and Aidan Denholm remain sidelined.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Luke Graham believes an elusive first Premiership victory can ignite Dundee's season.

After three draws and two defeats so far, Steven Pressley's men are desperate for a maiden victory when Livingston come calling on Saturday.

Defender Graham, who netted the equaliser in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Motherwell, believes Dundee have shown "at times" they can compete with most teams, but says they need to do it on a more consistent basis.

"It is massive to get the first win on the board, I think it will just be a big sigh of relief when it comes and we just need to try and get that on Saturday and hopefully kick on from there," he said.

"It has been a bit of a disappointing start but with everything that has been changing around the club it is always going to take a bit of time for everything to start coming together.

"I feel like last week in the second half especially we showed we can be a good team but we just need to be a bit more consistent.

"We have definitely shown at times that we can compete with most of the teams in this league and it is just about being a bit more consistent and showing it on a more permanent basis."

Graham spent last season on loan at Championship-winning Falkirk, where he saw at close quarters the difficulties Livingston can pose.

He said: "I played Livingston a good number of times and they kind of had our number a bit at Falkirk.

"so I already know they are an aggressive, powerful, good running side, but we are building towards it this week and just need to try and get the win."

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• Dundee have won the past three league meetings with Livingston – their longest ever top-flight winning run over the Lions.

• Dundee have won just one of their past 12 Scottish Premiership home games against newly-promoted opponents (D4 L7), and none of their past seven (D3 L4) since beating Rangers 2-1 in February 2017.

• Dundee remain winless in the Premiership this season (P5 D3 L2), while only Aberdeen have scored fewer goals (zero) and earned fewer points (one) than the Dark Blues (three goals, three points).

• Livingston are winless in 20 away games in the top flight (D5 L15). Only one side have gone longer without a Premiership win on the road in the 21st century, with Ross County going 25 without victory from September 2023 to December 2024 – a run the Staggies ended by beating Dundee.

• The average age of Livingston's starting XIs in the Scottish Premiership this season has been 28 years and 338 days, the oldest of any side. Dundee rank third youngest (25y 188d).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Steven Pressley has warned it will take time, perseverance and "real struggle" to delive a Dundee team "our supporters are proud of".

The Dark Blues, who exited the Premier Sports Cup in the group stage, are without a win in their opening five Premiership games, losing two.

Head coach Pressley, who replaced Tony Docherty in the summer, is eyeing a first league victory when newly-promoted Livingston head to Tayside on Saturday.

"The difficulty that I have sometimes is that people just look at the results and there is absolutely no context to anything," said Pressley. "My job is not to look for excuses but to bring context.

"When I look at the Hibernian game on the first day of the season, we were struggling to get a team on the pitch, we had players that weren't even fit out there.

"We were without the [Yan] Dhandas, the Joe Westleys, the [Cameron] Congreves, the Ethan Hamiltons – and we were very much without all these players for the next three games.

"And during those three games, from where we were for us to take two points was a really solid start for us. I think we would have bitten your hand off at that time when I looked where the squad was, what we were faced with, so to get those two points were really important.

"Now the challenge is to go from where we were just finding a way to get results, trying to be solid defensively, difficult to beat, to being a team that is a little bit more progressive."

While Pressley is striving to produce a team that will consistently deliver, he admits the journey to get to that point will be far from straightforward.

He said: "It is a challenge, fitting the players in, trying to get us to change. I will remind people, we were a team that lost more goals than any other team last season, so we are trying to become more solid but also we are trying to improve offensively.

"It is going to take time, it is going to take perseverance, it is going to take some real struggle, real difficulties.

"But I think we can get through this and I think we can start seeing some green shoots and we can eventually see a team that I really hope our supporters are proud of."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media before the Premiership visit of Livingston this weekend.

Here are the key points from his news conference:

• On their failed bid to have Yan Dhanda's red card overturned, Pressley had hoped some "context" would have been factored in: "Yes, he has his foot up, but there was absolutely no intent there to injure the opposing player."

• Dundee are still searching for their first league win, but Pressley says there also needs to be context applied in terms of trying to build a team and players that have been at his disposal.

• He says "now the challenge" is to go from trying to be solid defensively and difficult to beat to being a team that is more progressive.

• Pressley adds: "I will remind people, we were a team that lost more goals than any other team last season so we are trying to become more solid but also we are trying to improve offensively."

• Amid their winless run he insists: "I think we can get through this and I think we can start seeing some green shoots and we can eventually see a team that I really hope our supporters are proud of."

• On the threat Livingston pose, Pressley says they have stability with David Martindale, who "has done a wonderful job", but it is important Dundee beat the teams around them.

• On signing Kieran O'Hara to take Dundee's number of goalkeepers to four, Pressley says he wants a squad where there is real competition for places and he plans to put Harry Sharp out on loan.

• Team news: As well as the suspended Dhanda, Paul Digby and Cesar Garza miss out but Charlie Reilly "comes back in to our thinking".

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

The Scottish Premiership is already shaping up to be a curious campaign where victories appear hard to come by.

Only two teams - Celtic and Hearts - have managed more than one win.

Given that, there will be no panic stations at Dundee, who have yet to win having played five and lost two.

Steven Pressley's side will have been happy with draws at Rangers and Kilmarnock.

And coming back from a goal down to draw at home to a Motherwell side who have been playing some eye-catching football is also not a disaster.

However, like so many other teams, they know wins are needed - and quickly.

While there have been flickers of encouragement for Dundee, their second-half showing against the Steelmen being a case in point, Steven Pressley is still striving for consistency of performance from his new-look side.

If he can find it, a couple of wins could propel them up the congested table and put a very different complexion on things.

Even at this early stage of the campaign, the weekend visit of Livingston feels like a big a game in helping set the narrative for Dundee's season.