Hartley: Saints match will be tough
Dundee manager Paul Hartley is refusing to write off struggling St Mirren ahead of Saturday's Premiership fixture at Dens Park.
The Buddies will arrive in the City of Discovery still bottom of the table following last weekend's home defeat to Motherwell and showing no real signs of picking up after the departure of former manager Tommy Craig.
But Dens Park boss Hartley maintains his players while show the Paisley outfit every respect as they seek to go on a winning festive run.
Hartley said: "It's got the makings of a tough game. I know St Mirren haven't had things going their way of late but that won't change the way we approach the game.
"By all accounts they put in a good performance against Motherwell in their last game so we know they'll be hard opponents on Saturday.
"There are no easy games in this division and St Mirren will be no different.
"It will be up to us to try and show the kind of form we're capable of as St Mirren will come here and look to cause us problems and make it as difficult for us as they can."
Dundee face local rivals Dundee United on New Year's Day but Hartley insists they'll have no problem focusing firstly on the visit of Saints to Tayside, before turning their attention to Thursday's derby.
Hartley said: "We'll take one game at a time.
"The next game is always the biggest one as far as we're concerned and that's St Mirren as far as we're concerned. The derby will take care of itself.
"In the meantime, we will give our full focus to St Mirren on Saturday.
"The players are looking forward to it and so hopefully are the fans. We want to get three points in what will be the last home game of the year.
"It's a busy period over Christmas and it's one you try and enjoy with the games coming thick and fast.
"We want to build on the good things we did against Partick Thistle last weekend and hope to get a positive result."
Kyle Letheren is set to continue in goal for Dundee as Scott Bain recovers from a shoulder injury.
Midfielders Kevin McBride and Simon Ferry both have knocks along with Greg Stewart so could all face fitness tests, but Paul McGowan is over a knee injury and is set for his first start in over a month.
Saints have gone almost 12 weeks without a win and trail relegation rivals Ross County by a point ahead of Saturday's trip to Dundee.
But their chances of escaping the drop zone could be severely damaged if John McGinn - linked with a January switch to boyhood favourites Celtic as well as a host of Sky Bet Championship clubs down south - is allowed to leave.
Boss Kenny McLean though has told his friend to ignore the transfer speculation and concentrate fully on pulling his Buddies out of the mire.
"Everybody knows John's qualities," said McLean, who felt he wrongly had a goal chalked off in last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Motherwell. "So coming up to transfer windows, these rumours are always going to crop up.
"But he is big enough to handle it. He's been through it all before.
"He just needs to focus on what's happening here with St Mirren. I have got no doubt that John will go on to bigger things but at this moment in time we need him to stand up and help us get out of this position.
"I've been there myself and at times all the speculation can get to you. It's happened a few times to both of us now. But we've been through it and know what is needed is total concentration.
"The results we have been getting are just not good enough. We can complain about decisions like my goal last week but at the end of the day we've not been picking up results."
Source: PA
