McIntyre hails Miller after hat-trick in victory over Hamilton

Dundee boss Jim McIntyre hailed Kenny Miller after the veteran skipper scored a “fantastic” hat-trick in the 4-0 Ladbrokes Premiership win over Hamilton at Dens Park.

The 38-year-old forward scored from close range in the 21st minute to give the home side the interval lead then grabbed a brace of fine strikes in the second half.

Miller scored either side of Jesse Curran’s deflected drive to secure the match ball and give McIntyre his first win as Dark Blues boss at the seventh attempt and Dundee their first home league win of the season.

Miller has now scored five goals in three games and McIntyre said: “He is a goal scorer. He has been a goal scorer all his career.

“Everyone goes on about how fit a guy he is and it is important that we make sure that we give him service. We need to get the ball in the right areas, more risk passes.

“He said it was his seventh or eighth hat-trick of his career and to do it at 38, he deserved a lot of credit. “I am delighted for him but more so for the team.”

Dundee moved to within five points of 10th-placed Accies but with St Mirren drawing with Hibernian, McIntyre’s side remain one point behind Saints at the bottom with a game in hand over both their relegation rivals.

McIntyre added: “First and foremost we just wanted to win the game, it didn’t matter how we did it but to score four goals was fantastic.

“It gets the monkey off the back, having won at home and now three games unbeaten. I was delighted with effort but there is a lot of work to do.”

After beating fellow strugglers St Mirren 3-1 at the weekend, Hamilton boss Martin Cannning said it was, “one step forward, two steps back” for his side.

He said: “There was no pressure on shots, it was too easy. At no point in the game did you feel Dundee were putting us under real pressure.

“It was a game we shouldn’t be conceding four goals in.

“It was a real frustrating one after beating St Mirren. It was too easy, too soft.

“We need to forget it and go again on Saturday.”