Duffy boost for Dundee ahead of tie

CRISIS club Dundee will go into tonight’s CIS Cup quarter-final clash with Hearts at Dens Park boosted by the news that Jim Duffy has decided to stay on as manager.

The Dark Blues chief had been wanted by Partick Thistle to replace the sacked Gerry Collins but he has snubbed the chance of job security at Firhill to stay with the cash-strapped club which recently went into administration with debts of £20 million.

"I know I am taking a risk but you can take a risk anywhere," said Duffy, who still has 18 months of current deal to run.

"The administrators could turn to me in January and say they haven’t been able to find the revenue they were looking for.

"They could say there have to be wage cuts but the time to consider all that is when it happens and not if."

Dens star Mark Fotheringham, meanwhile, is desperate to make his stay at Dens Park a success after savouring his first senior goal.

Fotheringham, who was one of the UK’s most sought-after teenagers when he joined Celtic in 1999, had to leave the Glasgow giants in order to get first-team football after watching his career stagnate under Martin O’Neill.

He joined a club that had recently been in the Scottish Cup final, was competing in Europe and was making plans to add some big-money signings to their already impressive squad.

However, after only four months of the season the club had slipped into administration and were forced to lay off 20 members of staff - including 15 players.

Luckily Fotheringham was one of the players administrator Tom Burton wanted to retain and he has found that the lack of numbers available to Jim Duffy, allied to an injury to Scotland player Gavin Rae, has given him his opportunity to shine.

Fotheringham said: "It was great to get my first start at the weekend and top it off with a goal.

"Losing so many players was a shock, but we have all got to pull together and I hope I can do my bit to help the team.

"It was a bit of a culture shock as I had been at Celtic for a few years and when you are there you get treated like a superstar - even though you are just a young boy.

"The manager has been brilliant with me and I am glad he is staying as he has handled things really well over the last week or so.

"The Hearts game is going to be tough as they are a good side and they have done well so far this season.

"They were unlucky in Europe last week and will be desperate to make up for the defeat they suffered on Sunday, so we are expecting a tough game."

Taken from the Scotsman