At about a quarter past three on a windy, rainy day in Glasgow a young Scot found time for a short, heartfelt prayer. "Don't bobble," pleaded Colin McMenamin to his object of devotion.

At about a quarter past three on a windy, rainy day in Glasgow a young Scot found time for a short, heartfelt prayer.

"Don't bobble," pleaded Colin McMenamin to his object of devotion. "I just kept saying don't bobble, don't bobble."

The ball stayed true and McMenamin did the rest. Dundee were one up in the Homecoming Scottish Cup against Celtic. The Dundee striker had performed his duty after Artur Boruc had contrived to kick an area of chilly air rather than the match ball.

"I just remember a good ball down the channel, chasing it down," said McMenamin, recalling the moment later with a clarity of thought and a confusion of tenses. "I have gambled that he is going to miss it and luckily that's what happened. It's just a tap in. The goalkeeper's expected a bounce."

McMenamin was almost instrumental, too, in providing Dundee with the most unlikely of equalisers after a Celtic 1-2 rendered his opener as seemingly a consolation goal. A smart cross from the right in time added on was spilled by Boruc but no player in a blue shirt was waiting to pounce.

"We were too tired near the end," said the player of a Dundee side who had to expend energy in merely trying to close Celtic down. They had none for the extra dividend of putting Boruc under any further pressure.

However, Dundee's season will be decided on SFL grounds. Their focus now must be to chase down St Johnstone.

"We have come here and showed we are a good team so, hopefully, we can push on now," said McMenamin. "Our league takes a bit of hammering sometimes. But we all proved we were up for the fight. It's a tight league and we all want out of it."

St Johnstone could prove the quality of the first division by giving Rangers an uncomfortable time tomorrow night. McMenamin will be cheering the Saints on, hoping that a cup run could adversely affect the side leading the race for promotion.

Dundee are nine points behind but McMenamin has far from given up hope. "The gaffer said to us after the game that we should want to play here every week. We need to get out of the first division. There is a gap to close but we are closing that gradually," he said.

The forward said that he had looked in vain in the stands for his cousin, Sean, a Celtic supporter, after the Dundee goal had gone in. "He usually sits behind the goal," the player said. "But I didn't see him."

McMenamin was too busy keeping his eye on a ball that did not bobble. Now the focus is on the league.