Owen Beck grabbed his second assist since heading back out on loan, with the left-back proving why he is so highly rated at both Liverpool and Dundee.
Dundee were forced to be patient after Beck – who had been their first-choice left-back throughout the first half of the season – was recalled to Liverpool in January.
But after providing much-needed cover in the absence of Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas, the Welshman was allowed to return to Scotland at the end of the winter window.
“Everyone at the club was so excited,” managed Tony Docherty reflected on learning on Beck’s second loan, “the coaches, the players, and all the other staff at the club.”
The 21-year-old slotted back into his starting role and, after an assist on his re-debut, set up another in a late 2-1 win over St Johnstone on Sunday.
It came in a game marred by a challenge from St Johnstone defender Liam Gordon on Dundee striker Michael Mellon, which forced the substitute off and left Docherty furiously claiming it was “almost life-endangering.”
Matthew Smith opened the scoring for St Johnstone early in the first half, before a Luke McCowan penalty set things up for a tense finale after the break.
Beck had already gone close to a winner when his rasping shot fizzed just wide of the far post, before he sent in a wonderful ball from deep for Jordan McGhee to head home in the 89th minute.
It was a perfect delivery from Beck, who has now scored two and assisted four in 24 appearances on loan at Dundee.
Elsewhere over the weekend, there was frustration for two of Liverpool’s more high-profile loanees as Calvin Ramsay was substituted at half-time and Billy Koumetio left out altogether.
Ramsay was one of two players hooked at the break as Bolton trailed 1-0 at Northampton, with his side going on to seal a 1-1 draw.
Assistant manger Peter Atherton, taking media duties following the dismissal of manager Ian Evatt, told the Bolton News that Ramsay’s withdrawal was “just tactical.”
Meanwhile, according to the Lancashire Telegraph, Koumetio simply “missed out on the matchday squad” as Blackburn beat Stoke 3-1.
There were contrasting fortunes for two goalkeepers considered part of Liverpool’s first-team plans, with Marcelo Pitaluga enduring a miserable night for St Patrick’s Athletic.
Starting against Shamrock Rovers in the President’s Cup – the Irish equivalent of the Community Shield – Pitaluga could be blamed for two of the goals as St Pat’s lost 3-1.
For Harvey Davies, however, the weekend brought a big step in the right direction as he returned to Crewe’s starting lineup for the first time in almost a month.
With Tom Booth – who took Davies’ place as first choice due to a downturn in form – out injured, Davies came in and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Crawley.
Davies had replaced Booth at half-time in the previous 0-0 draw with Tranmere, with manager Lee Bell describing it as “two clean sheets for him really” since his comeback.
Another stopper, Vitezslav Jaros, made his debut in the Austrian Bundesliga as Sturm Graz held title rivals Salzburg to a 1-1 draw.
Liverpool Loan Watch Roundup
- Owen Beck (Dundee) – 90 mins vs. St Johnstone – assist
- Nat Phillips (Cardiff) – 84 mins vs. Preston
- Fabio Carvalho (Hull) – 76 mins vs. Swansea
- Tyler Morton (Hull) – 90 mins vs. Swansea
- Sepp van den Berg (Mainz) – 90 mins vs. Stuttgart
- Calvin Ramsay (Bolton) – 45 mins vs. Northampton
- Harvey Davies (Crewe) – 90 mins vs. Crawley – clean sheet
- Marcelo Pitaluga (St Pat’s) – 90 mins vs. Shamrock Rovers
- Luke Chambers (Wigan) – 90 mins vs. Exeter
- Vitezslav Jaros (Sturm Graz) – 90 mins vs. Salzburg
- Adam Lewis (Newport County) – 90 mins vs. Walsall – assist
- Luca Stephenson (Barrow) – 36 mins vs. Wimbledon
- Dominic Corness (Yverdon) – 28 mins vs. Servette
- James Balagizi (Kilmarnock) – 7 mins vs. Cove Rangers
- James Norris (Tranmere) – 7 mins vs. Doncaster
Unused: Billy Koumetio, Jakub Ojrzynski, Anderson Arroyo, Reece Trueman
