This piece is an extract from yesterday's Dens Dispatch newsletter, which is emailed out at 6pm every Tuesday.

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For the second time this season, Dundee has conspired to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory and succumbed to a late, late equaliser away from home. It was bad enough when it happened against St Johnstone, but dropping two points to a Motherwell side in a poor run of form and down to ten men feels inexcusable.

From a late, late free kick, we could've kept the ball in the corner or played it back to Carson. Instead, it sailed out of play, Liam Kelly hoofed it up the park, a header was lost, several players failed to take responsibility, Wilkinson's run wasn't tracked and his near post finish applied the coup de grace. As sickeners go, it's up there. A further two points would’ve put clear blue water between us and the bottom six and kept us only three points off third with a game in hand. Any points away from home are a bonus to most teams in the league, and not losing away remains the essential aim, but the manner of the equaliser leaves a bitter taste that might not shift easily given our next game is at Ibrox.

The last thing you want before going to Ibrox is to see your side begin to ship goals more regularly than before. Our hitherto defensive solidity has, for now, dissipated, with 5 goals conceded across the last two games. None of the goals have been down to appalling errors, but it's jarring to feel a shift in how our games unfold, as the budding certainties around what Tony Docherty's Dundee did have been replaced with a more mixed bag.

Of course, this mixed bag is not necessarily all bad, as a slightly more porous defence has been held up by an attack that is really beginning to motor. Over the last few games, you can really see the confidence and understanding between the front players growing, not least diminutive playmaker Lyall Cameron. Despite scoring a header on flag day at Dens - a feat he matched, both in method and opponent, on Saturday - Cameron had a quiet start to the season as he adjusted to the demands and tribulations of the Premiership. He's an intelligent, industrious player, though, and those qualities - polished by his key role on Scotland U21 duty - have shone through in recent weeks. He was my pick for breakout star from the squad for this season and although it's taken a bit more time than expected, I wouldn't be surprised to see him pick up more goals, assists and plaudits over the busy festive period.

Another player deserving a special mention this week - heck, most weeks, to be honest - is Owen Beck. The young Liverpool loanee has confounded the hopes of even the most optimistic Dark Blue to become the most lauded left-back at Dens since Tosh McKinlay. What we’ve noticed since day one has finally come to the attention of the rest of the league, and he’s only going to get better.

READ MORE: The Hibernian learning curve that must not halt Dundee's progression

His improvement in the few months he’s been here is almost alarming, and that’s starting from a very solid base. The comparison feels both lazy and icky given it involves our dear neighbours, but his breakthrough and style of play mirrors that of his club captain, Andy Robertson. Marauding from the back with a licence to join in any and all attacks, Beck is able to duck, dip and dodge through melees of lumbering opposition players with the ball sewn to his boots. In a squad already brimming with creative influences and tricky forwards, he’s another threat for opponents to deal with. With game intelligence (and s***housery) beyond his years, the threat only deepens.

His contribution doesn’t stem solely from his crossing and set-piece delivery, though; he’s now scored in successive games, displaying a level of composure for his goal against Motherwell that some seasoned strikers must envy. His peripheral awareness of Stephen O’Donnell sliding in vain to block his route to goal, deciding to let the cutback run across his body and leave SOD to slide aimlessly towards the corner flag and for all we know Hamilton, jinking his feet and coolly popping the ball beyond Liam Kelly? Sublime.

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, he’ll be a one-season wonder on Tayside. The route to Liverpool left-back is crowded, and one successful loan spell is unlikely to be enough to clear the way, but it’s not difficult to envisage teams much higher up the food chain sitting up and taking note. We should soak up every minute of him we can, and remember that if the price of a leakier defence is more joyous moments at the right end of the pitch, it’s maybe not the end of the world.