“They should be proud of themselves,” Pressley’s message to his players | OneFootball

Dundee boss Steven Pressley gave his reaction to his side’s heartbreaking Scottish Cup defeat to Celtic at the weekend…

Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo watches a shoot from Ethan Hamilton of Dundee fly into the top corner of his goal as Hamilton scores to give Dundee a 0-1 lead. Celtic v Dundee, Scottish Cup, Fifth Round, Celtic Park, 7 February 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

The visitors had looked set for a historic victory at Celtic Park – their first in a quarter of a century – after Ethan Hamilton fired them ahead early in the second half with a stunning strike.

Junior Adamu celebrates with James Forres after scoring to tie the game 1-1 in the 97th minute, forcing extra-time. Celtic v Dundee, Scottish Cup, Fifth Round, Celtic Park, 7 February 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

However, Celtic substitute Junior Adamu, introduced late on for Tomas Cvancara, flicked home a Sebastian Tounekti cross in the 96th minute to send the tie into extra time, where Tounekti later scored the decisive goal.

Although the fourth official had initially signalled five minutes of added time, referee Lee extended that period after Kieran Tierney required lengthy treatment for a head knock and was replaced by Marcelo Saracchi.

Dundee Head Coach Steven Pressley talks to Ethan Hamilton of Dundee after Hamilton scored to give Dundee a 0-1 lead. Celtic v Dundee, Scottish Cup, Fifth Round, Celtic Park, 07 February 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/ Shutterstock

Questioned post-match whether he had any complaints about the game going into the 97th minute, Pressley replied via The Herald: “I have no complaints. None at all. We keep playing until the referee blows his whistle. Of course, we’re disappointed.

“Of course, if the official put up five minutes and it leads to 96 and a half. But we have to endure that. We have to stay focused. I’m just disappointed because I think our players deserved the win.

“It’s gut-wrenching. But I’m exceptionally proud of the team. To a man, they were exceptional. They left nothing out there. But not only did they show incredible effort, I thought they showed a lot of bravery.”

Pressley added: “Bravery to take the ball under pressure and play and build. So there were so many good things and the truth is, I thought we were there. You always have to give clubs like Celtic a great deal of respect. They never give up. I just thought we were there. I’m so disappointed.

Dundee Head Coach Steven Pressley Celtic v Dundee, Scottish Cup, Fifth Round, Celtic Park, 07 February 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/Shutterstock

“I’m so proud of this group. Even after the late setback in the game and then the early setback in extra time, it didn’t affect us. We kept going and even right up until the last kick of the ball we still looked like we could get something from the game.

“But also, we have to look at the bigger picture. And the bigger picture is that the team is moving forward. I think as individuals, there’s been a lot of progression. But now, we have to ensure that we stay in the Premiership. That’s our challenge and we’re a long way from securing that. So we’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of us.”

The Dundee boss continued: “The dressing room, like myself, is super disappointed. But also, I think they know how well they performed. They know they left nothing out there. When you have that feeling, there’s a feeling of pride in your performance. So I think that that will be the case.”

“One of the questions I posed to the group was that when we beat Celtic earlier on in the season, we were playing a slightly different way, a more pragmatic way, a more defensive way.

“But we’ve tried to evolve as a team, become a little bit more progressive, a little bit more controlled, have more of the ball. My challenge to the players was, ‘Can you come to a place like Celtic Park and play with that bravery and that control? And can we force our game onto them?’ I think the overriding answer was yes. So I think that’s why they should be proud of themselves.”

Steven Pressley has done a fine job at Dundee and they certainly seem to be a better team each time we play them. They will take points off the teams at the top of the table before this season is out of they continue to play the way they did at Celtic Park at the weekend.

Conor Spence

Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order

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