Up wi’ the bonnets of Bonnie Dundee is the oft-heard cry around these parts, but another loss for the Dens Park men yesterday means it might soon be off with the head of Neil McCann.

His side are still without a point and sit rock bottom of the table after four games, three points adrift of struggling St Mirren after Motherwell followed up their draw against Rangers last week with a well-deserved victory in Tayside. Bonnie, the Dundee performance wasn’t.

The visitors dominated a match that was notable for the lack of any discernible plan from Dundee either in possession or out of it. Motherwell players were continually allowed time on the ball, and but for a brief flurry after they pulled a goal back in the second half, the home side were always second-best.

McCann’s men now have the international break to re-group, with the enticing prospect of a visit to Ibrox awaiting them upon their return to league duty as they look to break their duck for the season.

“It is tough for us at the minute,” admitted McCann. “I would love to see us taking the lead as I think it will give us that release.

“I think we are playing quite tight at the moment and you can see we are lacking in confidence.

“We keep giving ourselves a lot to do. I don’t think there is a lack of belief. We are just lacking in confidence at the moment. “

Dundee were awful in the opening half an hour, hitting aimless balls forward and inviting pressure onto themselves, or giving the ball away in dangerous areas like Meekings did to send Main away only for the Motherwell striker to fire wide as the visitors looked to break the deadlock.

The fact Dundee were level at the interval was about all that would have comforted the home punters, with their favourites failing to register a single shot on target.

Things weren’t to brighten up though for the Dee faithful. Dundee players continued to drop off their opponents and giving them all the time in the world to pick passes. They were always going to be made to pay, and so it proved 10 minutes after the restart.

Stephen Robinson had thrown on Elliot Frear in place of the unusually ineffective Chris Cadden, and the winger got a low ball in from the left that should have been easily cut out by Genseric Kusunga. The big defender made a hash of his clearance though, letting the ball squirm through to Johnson who cracked it home first time into the corner for his third in as many games.

“He is not the finished article, but he is a goalscorer,” said Robinson. “And they are priceless.

“We have brought a few people up here who have scored goals and sold them on. Danny has a long way to go but when you can score those goals you have a chance.”

It was to go from bad to worse for McCann and his struggling side as new boy Calvin Miller barrelled into Rose on the edge of the box to concede a free-kick that Bigirimana hit at the wall, only for a dark blue jersey to shirk his duties and allow the ball to bounce through and over the outstretched arm of Hamilton and into the net.

That looked to be that, but Dundee hauled themselves back into it as Miller made amends for his error at the other end by winning a corner and then whipping it onto the head of Benjamin Kallman to nod past Trevor Carson.

‘Game on’ cried the Dens Park announcer, and as the match drew into the closing 10 minutes the home side finally cranked up the pressure.

On-loan Celtic youngster Miller was the man causing Motherwell problems down the left, setting up two chances in quick succession for Paul McGowan and then Kallman that were both saved by Carson when neither player should have given the keeper the opportunity.

The visitors made the most of their reprieve, as Ryan Inniss conceded a cheap free-kick on the edge of his own area, and the Dundee defence went to sleep to allow Motherwell to kill off the brief contest the game had become.

Bigirimana slipped the ball quickly into the feet of Conor Sammon, whose shot on the turn was blocked into the path of Allan Campbell, and the midfielder put the icing on the cake.

“I’m very satisfied,” said the Motherwell manager. “I think the first half was the best performance since I came to the club 18 months ago.

“The way we went about our business and got the ball down was terrific.

“We played some brilliant football and created so many chances. We are big and physical but we have some super footballers as well.”