Dundee vs ST Johnstone: Miller Key as Dundee Chase Back-to-Back Wins
Dundee host St Johnstone in a Tayside Premiership derby on Wednesday evening as Steven Pressley’s side look to build on their rousing derby win in round four. The Dark Blues head into matchday five after digging deep to beat city rivals Dundee United, while St Johnstone arrive at Dens Park searching for consistency following a mixed opening to the campaign.
Team News and Injury Latest
Pressley has no fresh injury concerns and is expected to lean on the same group that delivered at Tannadice. Drey Wright, the derby opening goalscorer, faces his former club, and centre-back Owen Bevan, who impressed alongside Ryan Astley in that victory, should retain his place. Among the new arrivals, Bradley Fink and Matai Akinmboni are in contention after completing deadline-window moves to Dens Park.
St Johnstone have added Enes Alic to their squad in the closing stages of the window. The Perth side will be without Tom Renaud, whose ankle injury ruled him out of the weekend defeat to St Mirren and keeps him sidelined for this midweek trip across the Tay.
Dundee Form Guide
Dundee bounced back from an opening-day loss to beat Dundee United 2-0 in a performance that pleased Pressley for reasons beyond the scoreline. After the match he admitted his side “didn’t carry out any part of” the game plan but praised the “grit and determination” that carried them through. That result, combined with a clean sheet, has lifted the mood around Dens Park after the club fought to preserve its Premiership status last term. The Dark Blues have won three of their last five league matches stretching back to the end of the previous season, a run built on resilience rather than fluency.
St Johnstone’s Midfield Test
St Johnstone posted an eye-catching 4-3 win at Kilmarnock on the opening weekend but then fell 1-0 at home to St Mirren, leaving them with three points from two matches. Calvin Miller, highlighted in the build-up as one of the in-form midfielders in the division and on penalty duty, will be central to Dundee’s plan to control the middle third. The visitors have goals in them — they struck four times in their only away outing so far — yet must tighten up against a Dundee side that has just kept its first clean sheet of the league season.