News: Gary Irvine Believes Potential Goal Record Was Not A Distraction

[TheDarkBlues]

Gary Irvine insists the fact team-mate David Clarkson was on the brink of a goal-scoring landmark did not create any extra pressure for the Dundee players on Saturday.

Clarkson, who has been named the SPFL Player of the Month for November, had scored eight goals in eight games, meaning if he netted against Caley he would have equalled a club record.

He failed to do so but Irvine was adamant that the players had not given a lot of thought to the potential achievement and that it was not a factor in the Dark Blues’ late defeat to John Hughes’ side.

And he insisted that while Clarkson was not on the score-sheet against Inverness, he will soon be back on the goal trail.

He said: “If you are talking about pressure, you would maybe need to ask Clarky.

“It didn’t affect the other players. We were just delighted that he was scoring every week, creating records and getting close to them.

“We weren’t really aware of it (records) until after games — I’m not sure if Clarky was either.

“But it is obviously a massive bonus when you have strikers scoring goals for you.

“You have that bit of confidence thinking if he gets a chance, he might take it for us.

“Unfortunately, it never came against Inverness but for eight weeks he has been a threat to different teams throughout the league and I am sure he’ll quickly be back to scoring again.”

Source: The Courier