The striker couldn't resist taunting the Tannadice faithul
22:30, 17 Mar 2025
Simon Murray celebrates Dundee strike against city rivals Dundee United
Simon Murray celebrates Dundee strike against city rivals Dundee United
Simon Murray has insisted his Emmanuel Adebayor-style derby celebration was pre-planned and he had even warned his Dundee teammates about it.
The self-confessed Dark Blues fans ran the length of the pitch to take a bow in front of the Dundee United fans after his injury time penalty helped seal his side's famous 4-2 win.
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Former United player Murray had been hit earlier in the game by a vape thrown from the same section of ground but he insisted his actions weren’t sparked by that.
The Dundee hero did a carbon copy of Adebayor when he scored for Manchester City then ran to the opposite end of the park to celebrate in front of fans of his former club, Arsenal's supporters back in 2009.
Murray said: “Yes, It was actually funny because I said to the boys, I'm going to do it at Adebayor when I score late on. I said that during the week and I'd done it.
“I visualised it and it came true. I was doing it as soon as I got the penalty, and the referee said it was the last kick of the game.
“There was only one thought in my mind. I knew I was not missing that penalty, and it was kind of written because I'd thought about it all week.
“Sometimes it goes your way and it did for me.”
Murray had been hit by an object thrown from the crowd in the first half. Murray knows there is banter and crack from both sides but that overstepped the mark.
Murray stated: “I know, look, I just thought it was the right thing to do to be honest and just get one back, you know.
“If you can give it out, you've got to be able to take it. I could take it when they beat us, you know, late on in the game at Dens.
“It's the worst feeling in the world, and today that's the reverse. That's basically just one to pay back and hope you enjoy that.”
Dundee had made history by beating United in the Scottish Cup for the first time in 69 years and they followed that up on Sunday with their first win at Tannadice in 21 years.
The Dundonian admitted: “When you sign for this club and being from the city, this is what you want to experience and you know (it is more than ) 19 years we hadn't beat them in the league away from home.
“That was our motivation to obviously get away from trouble a bit more, but to give our fans something to really celebrate because it's been a tough wee period and to give them that and to give us that confidence to push on now.
“It's just another three points, but in the scheme of the situation, it's a real boost for us.”
It was a massive win for Dundee as it was their first in the league since February. It stopped the rot and moved them five points clear of struggling St Johnstone.
Dundee caught United cold with an all-firing first half-display. They went in 3-1 up and also had two other goals disallowed by VAR.
Murray insisted: “Yeah, I mean, we scored five goals in the first half and that would kill any team. Look at the pace that we've got in the team.
Dundee's Simon Murray at full time after win over Dundee United at Tannadice
Dundee's Simon Murray at full time after win over Dundee United at Tannadice
“(Scott) Tiffoney, Seun (Adewumi), Josh Mulligan are all unbelievable. To play up front in a team like that is great.
“So, as long as we keep that, that's the standard, you know, why can we keep that consistency? That's what we need to show week in, week out.
“Things haven't been going our way, but then when things haven't been going your way you need to just keep working hard on the training pitch and finding these solutions. “Everyone at the club does that.
“It just showed today that we've got the players to win games and win well.”
Dundee now have Rangers after the international break. Murray acknowledged that they must use this big win to make sure they are safe and away from relegation trouble. He insisted his teammates continued to give everything even when things were going against them.
Murray added:“Definitely, I mean, you know, when you're down there you sometimes feel that things aren't going for you, but you need to stick together and fight for each other, fight for every point and we really showed.
“I think, our own fans today that we're all in it, all in it together, you know, until the end of the season.”
The Dundee fans will now get some time off in the international break and it will give the dark blue side of the city some time to bathe in their latest derby win.
Murray insisted: “I think a well-earned rest now on international break for the boys. “It's been a tough period and I thought today we really showed a real fight together, a real togetherness.
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“There were times in the game obviously we needed to do that and maybe that's been mentioned about us that we concede goals and we can't stand up to it, but I thought we stood up to it today amazingly.”