Rory Loy pushing for Dundee start against Inverness

[News Bot]

Striker Rory Loy has moved himself into contention for a starting place when Dundee visit Inverness Caley Thistle on Saturday.

The front man has pushed himself into boss Paul Hartley’s thoughts after bagging a goal for the development squad in their 4-2 away win against Kilmarnock on Tuesday.

Loy has not been on the scoresheet since the opening day of the league campaign when he netted a brace in the 3-1 victory against Ross County at the Global Energy Stadium.

Having started the first three league games of the season, he then had to be content with coming off the bench and trying to make an impact.

But, with the Dark Blues lacking punch in last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at home to Aberdeen, Loy has sent a timely reminder to the manager of what he is capable of.

So far, Dundee have scored only one goal less than at this point last year.

But the departure of Kane Hemmings and Greg Stewart in the summer means the need to find a consistent goalscorer has become a priority.

With that in mind, the manager may opt to restore Loy to the frontline alongside livewire Faissal El Bakhtaoui at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.

Mark O’Hara’s sending off against Aberdeen means he will miss out due to a ban, while big defender Kevin Gomis will also be an absentee as he completes his two-match suspension.

Meanwhile, Paul has levelled praise at his two full-backs, Cammy Kerr and Kevin Holt, after their performances against the Dons as they kept the opposition’s wingers at bay for the majority of the game.

“We dealt with their wide players very well. Kerr and Holt handled McGinn and Hayes, who are a real threat.”

The manager was particularly fulsome in his praise for young Kerr, who was voted Dundee’s Man of the Match.

“I thought he was good,” continued Paul. “He got a yellow card early in the game against Johnny Hayes, who is one of the best wide players in the league. But I felt he coped well with the task.”

Kerr, who has been an ever present in the team since the start of the season, will welcome those sentiments, having seen a right-back trialist come in only last week as the manager looks for competition in that area.

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[Gedee]

I had very high hopes for Rory Loy. And to be honest, that was one of the more positive aspects of the departure recently o' oor twa key players (I am still haein' greetin' bouts thinkin'aboot they twa, but trying tae man-up) .... I thought he was, the man who would grab the opportunity, of making the place his own, as an attacking goal scoring forward.. I am still no' dismissing the idea at all, that this may yet happen, especially now he has managed to find the net in the Development Game.   

So RL, if you get your place in the team agin ICT (in fact awe the DFC players) Let's go oot and dae it. Mon the Dee

[Blue4evr]

PH thought Holt and Kerr did well against their dangerous wide players. I wonder how he thought Aberdeen coped with our dangerous wide players. Oh wait a minute ......

[Gedee]

2 hours ago, Blue4evr said:

I wonder how he thought Aberdeen coped with our dangerous wide players. Oh wait a minute ......

Oh, methinks somebody is beng a wee bit cheeky Blue4evr

Eh think eh might be gettin my belief back. 'Mon the DEES

[Sixdee]

Rory Loy may well have shone in a Development game but I think he's out of his depth in the first team; never seems to be in the right position somehow .