DUNDEE midfielder Jordan McGhee insists his teammates could be proud of their efforts at Ibrox on Wednesday night.
The Championship side were defeated 1-0 by the hosts, with Steven Davis scoring a header from close-range early in the match.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side marched on to the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup as a result, with the Dens Park outfit disappointed to miss out on the chance to play at Hampden.
However, despite conceding early, McGhee says it’s encouraging for Gary Bowyer’s men that their heads did not go down, instead giving Rangers a run for their money throughout the 90-minutes.
He said: “I looked around and the boys still looked up for it. Sometimes you come to places like this or Parkhead and once the first goal goes in you can capitulate. The boys did not do that. They stuck to their task and the game plan.
“It is just disappointing not to take that chance to get to Hampden. But we knew it was going to be a tough task against this Rangers team.
“I thought the boys emptied the tank and gave everything and there were a couple of half chances that we could have taken on another day. We knew before the game how difficult it was going to be. The fact the boys are in there gutted is a bit pleasing I suppose.
“It’s such a hard place to come. Rangers always start fast here. We weathered the storm to an extent without doing any damage, that’s what is difficult to take.
“In the second half we were pushing bodies forward and had a bit more belief. We made a few passes and unsettled Rangers a little bit. That’s where our chances came from.
“Rangers have top players. They can cut most teams open whenever they want but the game plan worked to an extent. I know we conceded, but we limited them to half chances and ricochets in the box and corners. That has to be pleasing for us. Obviously it has been a recurring problem this season; giving goals away.”
The general consensus after the game was that Fashion Sakala was lucky to stay on the park, escaping a red card for a kick-out at Dundee’s Cammy Kerr.
McGhee didn’t see the incident but insists Kerr wouldn’t go down easily.
He added: “To be honest, I was facing the other way at the time. Cammy is adamant it was a red card so I will have to watch that one back. Willie Collum said he did not see anything so we have to go with the referee on that one.
“Cammy is an honest boy. He does not go down too easily.”
