MATCH PREVIEW: SAINTS VERSUS DUNDEE

PHOTO: Chris Millar trains on Thursday morning.

St. Johnstone emerged victorious in the Tayside Derby against Dundee United last Saturday. On Friday night, Saints will take part in another Tayside Derby. On this occasion, however, we’ll be welcoming United’s city neighbours to McDiarmid Park (7.45pm kick-off).

Dundee FC have recently been involved in talks regarding the possibility of a future Scottish Premiership league match against Celtic in the United States of America. On Friday night at least, they’ll have to settle for an encounter a little bit closer to home!

The Dees will be relatively pleased with their start to the 2015/16 league campaign. Last season marked Dundee’s return to the Scottish Premiership, and it’s fair to say that they handled the situation with aplomb. Not only did they avoid the relegation and play-off positions, they secured a top 6 place after a series of impressive performances.

Dundee manager Paul Hartley took full advantage of the summer transfer window, making some shrewd additions to his squad. Kane Hemmings and Rory Loy were brought in as attacking options and Nick Ross made the switch from Inverness Caledonian Thistle. With Greg Stewart and Gary Harkins already at their disposal, Dundee possess a number of attack-minded players who could cause problems for any team in the league.

After a 4-0 victory against Kilmarnock on the opening day of the season, many pundits predicted Dundee to improve upon last season’s position. As things stand, they currently sit in 7th place. The Dees have so far been unable to put together a prolonged sequence of victories, but nonetheless remain very capable of embarking on a positive run of form and improving upon last season’s finish.

Whilst they have struggled to pick up three points from the majority of their league games so far (with 4 victories in their first 15 matches), Dundee have proved themselves incredibly difficult to beat. They have drawn 7 of their matches, with 4 of their last 5 league clashes ending in a 1-1 draw.

Of course, one of Dundee’s victories came against St. Johnstone at Dens Park in August. It was a 2-1 win for the Dark Blues. A Steven MacLean strike provided nothing more than consolation after James McPake and Kane Hemmings had scored first-half goals for the Dees.

Since then, Saints have embarked upon a fantastic run of form. They have won 8 out of 11 league matches since that defeat at the hands of their Tayside rivals, and they currently sit in 4th place. A win would temporarily move St. Johnstone into the top 3 – a remarkable achievement after a comparatively slow start to the season.

Matches between St. Johnstone and Dundee generally provide a fantastic amount of entertainment. Under the floodlights at McDiarmid Park, and with the BT Sport TV cameras looking on, another memorable night awaits us. Let’s hope that Saints can end up with the bragging rights on this occasion!

match report by Ollie Wale

Admission

Admission details for Saints vs Dundee tomorrow (Friday) night with a 7.45pm kick off at McDiarmid Park.

No advanced tickets are available, this fixture is only 'pay at the gate'.

WEST STAND

Adult - £23 Senior Citizens (65 and over) - £14 13 - 16 year olds - £13 Kids aged 12 and under (must be accompanied by an adult, maximum of two children per adult) - FREE

EAST STAND

Adult - £22 Senior Citizens (65 and over) - £12 17 - 18 year olds - £11 13 - 16 year olds - £8 Kids aged 12 and under (must be accompanied by an adult, maximum of two children per adult) - FREE

ORMOND STAND (SSE FAMILY SECTION)

One adult and up to two children aged 12 or under can gain admission at a cost of £15. Unaccompanied adults or children aged 12 or under will not be admitted. Children aged 13-16 can gain admission at a cost of £8. Additional adults within a 'family group' are admitted at a cost of £15.

AWAY SUPPORT - NORTH STAND

Adult - £22 over 65s - £12 13-18 year olds - £11 Kids aged 12 and under (must be accompanied by an adult, maximum of two children per adult otherwise it's £5 for each additional child there after) - FREE

Dundee fans with children can also enter the Ormond Family Stand (enter through turnstile 18) for the following prices: One adult and up to two children aged 12 or under can gain admission at a cost of £15. Unaccompanied adults or children aged 12 or under will not be admitted. Children aged 13-16 can gain admission at a cost of £8. Additional adults within a 'family group' are admitted at a cost of £15.

For any other information please call the Ticket Office on 01738 455000