Gary Harkins: Dundee Have Enough Class To Stay In The Top Six

[JoeCovenant]

Skipper Gary Harkins is backing his troops to knock the ‘second season syndrome’ theory on the head.

It has often been said that teams who enjoy success in their maiden season after promotion to the top flight struggle to replicate that bounce the following campaign.

Harkins reckons the Dark Blues can show everyone they will be the exception to the rule.

Last year, Paul Hartley’s men, having won the Championship the year previous, managed to scrape into the Premiership top six.

This time around, they look like at least matching that. In fact, given Friday’s performance against St Johnstone, they could well beat it.

Stand-in captain Harkins said: “It’s all going well for us.

“I can’t complain about anything when the team is doing so well.

“The second season for any team is always tougher.

“So for us to at least match what we did last season would represent progress.

“It would show that we are on the up if we did it again.

“We feel like we have the quality to do just that.â€

He continued: “The top six is where we are aiming for.

“That was the aim at the start of the season and it’s the same now.

“We are in it now but the top six is where we want to be at the end of the season.â€

Never mind top-six credentials, Dundee’s recent run of results has got many tipping them to muscle in on the top-flight’s top four come May.

Harkins, whose team have lost just once in the six games since he took the armband, stopped short of predicting that kind of finish but he says he is pleased with the progress made in recent months.

However, he did see Saints, who claimed fourth last season, as the perfect pointer.

“We are climbing the table, which is reassuring,†he said.

“To be picking up points against teams like St Johnstone is pleasing.

“We knew it was going to be tough against them.

“It was an acid test for us. It was a marker as to how far we have come this season against the side who finished fourth last season.

“But we worked hard for the win and in the end I thought we put in an impressive performance.â€

The player who grabbed all of the headlines — and quite rightly so — was two-goal-hero Kane Hemmings.

Harkins says playing with the English-man up top makes his job a lot easier.

“He is a goal machine,†said the 31-year-old.

“All we have to do is put it to him and he scores.

“Players like Kane make my job, and others’, a lot easier.

“He works his socks off for the team as well as scoring vital goals.

“I just know when I get the ball in space, he is already setting off towards goal. He’s a fantastic striker.â€

Much has been made of the club’s attacking prowess in recent times but Harkins places as much focus on keeping things tight at the other end.

“We know there is a lot of goals in this team,†he said.

“When you look to the right with (Greg) Stewart and the left with (Rory) Loy we have lots of attacking options.

“We know we are going to get things right at the top end, our problem this season has been keeping it tight at the other end.

“That’s why a clean sheet meant a lot to us on Friday.â€

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