Dundee

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Joe Bevan's imminent arrival could be the start of "a relatively busy" January transfer window for Dundee, hopes manager Steven Pressley.

The forward, 21, is joining from Burnley, having previously played in his native Scotland with Albion Rovers. Bevan was loaned to Carlisle United by Burnley a year ago.

"We hope to conclude the deal today, which would bring him into the reckoning tomorrow," Pressley said before Saturday's trip to face Dundee United.

"We're really excited to have him on board. He's what I would consider to be a club signing, in the sense that he's a signing made more for the longer term than the short term, although I think he can make an impact short term.

"The big thing I want to stress is that he's probably a player we would have looked to recruit more in the summer but because of the circumstance around him - and the interest in him - we had to move much quicker than expected.

"He's a player that we see having big potential. He's quick, he's got really good movement, he's got great athleticism and he's got the ability not only to score, but to eliminate in one-to-one situations, so I think he very much fits what style of football we're trying to create."

And Pressley said of changing his squad: "I hope we're relatively busy.

"It's a really difficult month to try and acquire the targets that you set out, but we certainly hope we can bring some players in, as well as several players moving out."

Dundee are up to ninth in the Scottish Premiership after festive wins over Falkirk and Kilmarnock.

"It's really exciting," said Pressley. "Dundee United are in a rich vein of form, but we're quietly confident.

"We've improved in recent games and had a couple of really good positive results but we're also aware of just how good a side Dundee United are so it's going to take a real top performance for us going to Tannadice to get anything from this game."

Chief executive John Nelms reflects on a difficult season at Dundee. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Charlie Reilly hopes to finally kick on at Dundee after an eye-catching first start - two-and-a-half years after joining.

Reilly, 24, arrived with a big reputation from Albion Rovers in the summer of 2023 but injuries have hampered his time on Tayside where he had to wait until Tuesday night's Premiership visit of Kilmarnock to make the starting XI.

An impressive display from the midfielder saw him set up Ashley Hay for the equaliser before scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 victory at Dens.

"I couldn't actually believe I have been here two-and-a-half years and not started a game," Reilly said.

"To get a goal and to get the assist and to win the match, I probably couldn't write it. It was a long time coming and I am absolutely delighted.

"It has been tough, the first year-and-a-half I was getting wee niggles and I couldn't get the chance to get on the park but I feel fit I feel strong.

"Obviously it is good to get back out on the park, I have been having to be patient to get my chance and I have got the goal, an assist and I am absolutely buzzing.

"I know what I can do, I have spoken to the gaffer a couple of times and he believes in me too so I just need to keep doing what I can do and help out the team as much as possible."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

After a difficult spell the tide seems to be turning for Dundee. Tuesday night's victory over fellow strugglers Kilmarnock moved them 10 points clear of the bottom - and they've got two players in my team of the week.

Drey Wright is versatility personified. Left-back for Dundee and a big player for the Dark Blues in their win over Kilmarnock.

Two-and-a-half years at the club, injury issues and plenty of frustration. But it all came good on a dream night for Dundee as Charlie Reilly made his first start, got an assist and scored a goal as the home side fought back to earn back-to-back home wins for the first time in 20 months.

We asked for your thoughts after Dundee came from behind to defeat Kilmarnock and move 10 points clear of the bottom of the Premiership table.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Gary: About time it clicked in the final third for Dundee. Often we get so far and the final step is missing. Peppered Killie's goal and I thought 'here we go again?!' but for this game at least it had the deserved outcome. Great to see Charlie Reilly starting and proving he can do a job. Great couple of wins and a nice way to end the year! On to Saturday!

Albert: This result just goes to show you what a wonderful job Steven Pressley is doing on a shoestring budget. Huge test ahead with the derby up next but going into it on the back of two great victories.

John: Great goal and great assist from Reilly, he needs to be a regular now. Back-to-back wins long overdue. Hopefully things are beginning to change. Hopefully 2026 is a good year for us!

Ewan: Our best attacking display of the season so far. We showed real intent and purpose every time we had the ball. Conceded completely against the run of play but reacted brilliantly in the second half. On another night, we could have had four or five goals to show for our efforts. Delighted for Charlie Reilly, hope he's given a run in the team. Bring on United!

Mark: Best performance under Pressley. We need to cut out the defences mistakes though. Very happy for Reilly and hopefully he can kick on now, starting on Saturday across the road.

John: It should have been much more but a great three points. No real failures in team without anyone being outstanding. My end of the ground never turned on the players at any point. We missed having a poacher but well done.

Watch highlights as Dundee make it back-to-back Scottish Premiership wins for the first time this season with a 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock. (Available to UK users only)

Dundee are closing in on the signing of 21-year-old Burnley striker Joe Bevan, who has now been given permission by the Clarets to travel north for talks. (Daily Record), external

Read all of Wednesday's Scottish Gossip

Dundee took a significant step towards Scottish Premiership safety as they came from behind against Kilmarnock and doomed their visitors to a 13th game without victory.

Read the full match report.

Have your say here.

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley tells BBC Scotland: "I was exceptionally proud of the way they played.

"We played so well in the first half and went in 1-0 down. I said to them in the dressing room 'there can be no hard luck stories tonight, we need to make sure we get what we deserve from the game'. They reacted brilliantly.

"There's been so much growth in them recently. We had a really good result against Falkirk and coming into this game, I stressed we hadn't recored back-to-back victories in 20 months.

"We had to own that, and change that. The players responded brilliantly.

"We're nowhere near where we need to be. We're progressing, showing some positive signs, but football can change so quickly. But tonight was a really significant for us, a monkey off the back with the 20 months, and the players can take a great deal of confidence.

"Coming from behind takes a great deal of courage and they showed that in abundance.

"Really pleased for Charlie Reilly tonight. He's been at the club for two-and-a-half years and that's his first start. He's really exciting, there's a lot of development in him, and he worked really hard for the team tonight."

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Former Dundee forward Rory Loy says the Dens Park side can make themselves "pretty comfortable" if they can follow up victory over Falkirk with another three points against Kilmarnock.

Steven Pressley's side are 10th in the Scottish Premiership after taking four points from their past three games.

"They're a strange team Dundee because they're the epitome of 'you would rather win one game and lose two or three when you're down the bottom than play well and draw every few games'," Loy told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"They're so difficult to predict. They can pull an iron out of the fire, they can pick up three points that you're not expecting and those are valuable three points when they come along.

"If they can go and win that one [against Kilmarnock at home on Tuesday], they'll find themselves in a pretty comfortable position having just beaten Falkirk."

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Dundee captain Simon Murray begins a two-match ban while Cameron Congreve is a doubt.

Joe Westley faces a further three months out while Finlay Robertson misses out again. Clark Robertson returned to training after a thigh injury but the game might come too soon.

Kilmarnock have Robbie Deas back from suspension.

Striker Marley Watkins has missed several games while Jamie Brandon, Djenairo Daniels, Matty Kennedy, Kyle Magennis and Max Stryjek remain out.

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Steven Pressley has challenged his Dundee players to change an unwanted statistic when they host Kilmarnock on Tuesday night.

The Taysiders go into the game on the back of a 1-0 Premiership win over Falkirk at Dens Park on Saturday and they ended the weekend in ninth place, three points ahead of their next opponents.

However, Dundee have not won back-to-back league games since beating Aberdeen and St Johnstone in March 2024.

"I reminded the players of a statistic that we have to own and we have to change," said Pressley, who confirmed skipper Simon Murray will miss two games through suspension after being sent off in the win over Falkirk for a challenge on Ethan Ross.

"As a football club, we haven't won back-to-back league games in 20 months. It's not, as I've said, a stat that we're particularly proud of, but we have to own that stat.

"And it's only myself, my staff and the players that can change that statistic. So there's a big incentive there for us against Kilmarnock."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Luke Graham (Dundee): A clean sheet for the young centre-half and singled out for special praise by manager Steven Pressley.

Yan Dhanda (Dundee): Laser accuracy for the penalty, which gave Dundee all three points against Falkirk.

Watch highlights as Dundee edge out Falkirk with a Yan Dhanda penalty for a vital Scottish Premiership win. (Available to UK users only)

We asked for your views after Dundee claimed a first win in five by beating Falkirk 1-0 at home.

Here are some of your comments:

Albert: A good festive three points that were much needed and a clean sheet too. Slowly getting the team to gel now is Steven Pressley.

Gary: After a first half littered with nervousness and slack play we finally get a VAR break. Some standouts but it still looks like the players can't figure out the final step. Bin the negativity or better sides will really punish us. We limp on to January.

George: How about playing for 90 minutes rather than just 45 minutes. Where is John Nelms, his silence is deafening?

Ewan: Always good to score right on half-time, but it gave us the excuse to come out in the second half and sit in. Would like to have seen us come out with two up top and kill the game off, but don't think we've got the personnel to do it. Classic six-pointer at home to Kilmarnock on Tuesday.

Jimmy: Another insipid performance but a great result, Pressley will have to get his act together for the next two games or we will be right back in the mire.

Iain: Three points and a clean sheet, which is positive. Our style of play has been the same all season though, and it doesn't please most fans. It would be nice to see some expression from the manager after a win. He'd be a great poker player.

Yan Dhanda's first-half penalty secured a pivotal first win in five Scottish Premiership matches for Dundee as Steven Pressley's side moved seven points clear of bottom-team Livingston with victory against a flat Falkirk.

Read the match report here.

Have your say here.

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley told BBC Scotland: "We obviously haven't had enough of those [good performances] thus far. We played more like how we train, with more fluency in our passing.

"The second half wasn't as fluent; it was a different type of performance. There was a nervousness around the stadium and understandably so. I thought the players were terrific, they played with such passion, determination and courage.

"The one thing I say about this group of players is that they train properly. They play with such determination. I can honestly say there have been very few occasions where they haven't applied themselves."

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Dundee have doubts over skipper Simon Murray and vice-captain Finlay Robertson because of knee knocks but Ryan Astley and Ethan Hamilton return.

Falkirk hope Brian Graham will recover from a knee knock in time to feature while Coll Donaldson, Aidan Nesbitt and Keelan Adams are fully in contention.

Gary Oliver (hamstring), Ross MacIver (ankle), Lewis Neilson (ankle) and Tom Lang (foot) are all due to return in January.

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Paul Digby has stressed the importance of Dundee's togetherness and fighting spirit as they look to boost their survival hopes in two pivotal home games.

The 10th-place Dark Blues - currently four points behind St Mirren - host Falkirk on Saturday and Kilmarnock three days later as they bid to move away from the bottom two.

Midfielder Digby said: "There is starting to become a bit of a gap and it's important that we're fully focused on the weekend, that we can go into the game full of confidence and get the three points.

"That's what we're planning to do to make sure that that gap doesn't get any bigger and that we can move up the table ourselves, which I believe we can do.

"We've got talented players, a really great group of people that are all fighting in the right direction to move up the table."

Steven Pressley's side have only taken four points from a possible 27 since beating Celtic in October, but Digby believes other big wins are on their way.

The 30-year-old former Cambridge midfielder said: "I've been in positions like this before where it's so important that everyone sticks together, which is what we've got as a group. Everyone's still fighting and pulling in the right direction.

"Day-to-day everyone's working so hard, whether it's the players, the staff, you see how hard everyone's working.

"That gives you confidence when you're all working so hard as a group that you can get results at the end of it and that's what we're working to do."

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• This will be Falkirk's first away game against Dundee in the top flight since December 1992, when they lost 2-1 under Jim Jefferies.

• Having already beaten Livingston 3-2 in September of this season, Dundee could win at home to two different newly-promoted sides in the same top-flight season for the first time since 2000-01 (3-0 v Dunfermline, 5-0 v St Mirren).

• Dundee have only won one of their past nine Scottish Premiership matches (D1 L7), failing to keep a clean sheet in each outing. On home soil, however, they have only lost two of their past six league games (W3 D1).

• Falkirk have kept a clean sheet in four of their past six Scottish Premiership games, including one in a 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock last time out. This is as many clean sheets as they had kept in their previous 28 games in the top-flight (4).

• Dundee's Cameron Congreve has the most goal involvements of any player aged 21 or younger in the Premiership this season (7 – 1 goal, 6 assists), while he is the outright leader for assists (6) in the division.