Lyall Cameron insists Dundee ‘not shifting blame’ with fresh VAR complaints as he seeks ‘change of luck’ in relegation battle.
The Dens Park side remains in trouble in 10th place, but they know a win over Ross County will secure their safety.
yall Cameron has expressed Dundee’s dissatisfaction with their latest VAR controversy, but admits they have been the architects of their own downfall this season.
The 3-2 defeat to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park means the Dens Park men are still fighting for their Premiership survival.
A win at home against Ross County on Wednesday ensures safety, but a defeat means that all scenarios are still possible next Sunday away to bottom-placed St Johnstone.
Despite the lingering concerns about dropping into the Championship, the post-match discussion focused on another contentious moment involving Tony Docherty’s team.
A farcical delay in checking for a possible penalty for the Dark Blues saw referee Don Robertson brought to the pitch-side monitor but not shown any images.
Confusion reigned after the match. Had VAR official Gavin Duncan determined that the incident was outside the box, or was there a problem with the screen?
“It’s hard for me to say because I didn’t see it very well,” Cameron said of Muray’s fight with Kyle Vassell. “But Si [Murray] insisted that it was inside the box.
“At the time, I thought it was strange that Don Robertson was standing over the VAR for so long. It is not his fault; at the end of the day, he gets what he works with.
“But I believe they couldn’t overturn the decision because the VAR was not working.
“You can laugh about it. But, at the end of the day, being in our situation is no laughing matter. It’s simply the last thing you need.
Cameron: ‘It’s people’s livelihoods’
“We’re fighting for everything to stay up, and when things don’t go your way, it’s extremely frustrating.
“At the end of the day, it is all about the basics. We bring in VAR; the least you can expect is that it works.
“In our situation, we can’t have things like that working against us. At the end of the day, time is running out.
“People can say, ‘Ah, VAR messed up,’ and it’s just a joke at the end of the day. But it is people’s livelihoods. “It’s just so frustrating.”
When Robertson was called to the bench 20 minutes into the second half, Killie was leading 1-0 thanks to Danny Armstrong’s 31st-minute penalty.
Simon Murray (right) congratulates Lyall Cameron (head bowed) after he scored Dundee’s equaliser against Kilmarnock. Image credit: Rob Casey/SNS Group.
Cameron equalised in the 76th minute with a smart move involving substitutes Fin Robertson and Seun Adewumi.
However, Dundee’s defensive flaws were once again exposed.
Within seconds, Bruce Anderson was given space to head in Liam Donnelly’s cross, and Robbie Deas nodded in Armstrong’s corner in the first minute of injury time.
Cameron’s second goal of the game four minutes later provided hope, but the attempted comeback was unsuccessful after another five minutes of stoppage time.
“Don’t get me wrong, we concede too many goals,” Cameron said. “So, we’re not shifting blame because we know we need to address it and improve; we’ve done so throughout the season.
Cameron: ‘That’s why we are where we are.
“Obviously, this is not where we want to be. We want to be far from this situation.
“Our initial goal for the season was to finish in the top six, and I believe we demonstrated that we were capable of doing so.” Going forward, we’ve scored a lot of goals.
“But we just concede so many goals, and it’s so frustrating to score two or three goals and then draw or lose the game.
“It is not sustainable. We just conceded too many goals, which is why we’re where we are.
Now that they are in their current predicament, the path to safety is clear. Win on Wednesday against County, who are two points lower.
Lyall Cameron (No.10) gave Dundee hope with his second goal in the 95th minute. Image: Rob Casey / SNS Group.
However, a defeat, combined with a win for St Johnstone away against Hearts, would keep automatic relegation alive for a nerve-racking match against Saints at McDiarmid Park next Sunday.
“It’s a big enough game anyway, and, look, we don’t want to be the team who feels hard done by all the time,” Cameron admitted when asked about a sense of injustice.
“But, at some point, our luck has to change, and hopefully that will happen in the next two games.”
“Fortunately, the results were probably in our favour. It’s still in our hands; all we need to do is beat Ross County at home.”
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