Mark McGhee hopes to come out on top in clash of the new recruits

Mark McGhee’s first home game as Dundee boss will see him try to get one over “good friend” and new St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson.

The Northern Irishman was appointed as Jim Goodwin’s replacement on Tuesday morning after the Paisley club secured his release from Morecambe and he will travel to Tayside on Wednesday night to take on McGhee, who took the Dark Blues role before Sunday’s 3-2 cinch Premiership defeat at Celtic Park.

McGhee recruited Robinson to be his assistant at Motherwell in February, 2017 and when he departed just two weeks later his number two stayed on and  eventually became Fir Park boss. However, the former Reading, Leicester and Wolves manager has no qualms as he looks to rescue the fortunes of Dundee.

“That happens all the time,” said the 64-year-old, who has captain Charlie Adam available after he missed the Celtic defeat with a back problem.

“It is not the first time that happened to me. I have no issues with Stephen Robinson. He is a good friend of mine and was a good assistant to me.

“So I have no issues with that whatsoever and I think St Mirren have made a great appointment and I wish Stephen luck, hopefully not on Wednesday night but beyond that and I look forward to seeing him.

“It will be my first home game, it will be his first game so there is significance to both of us.

“We know each other well, friends across the dugout, that doesn’t matter – we will both be trying our best to beat each other and that is fair.”

While McGhee joined the league’s bottom side, two points behind St Johnstone, Robinson takes over one of the form clubs in the league.

Seventh-placed St Mirren have six wins and two draws in their last eight games in all competitions and McGhee knows his side’s game in hand will be a test.

He said: “They have turned it around from a run of defeats to a run  of games unbeaten and we have to be respectful of that regardless of change in manager.

“He might bring a little bit more to it on Wednesday night, he won’t change it a lot but even if they come as they have been in the past few weeks they will be a dangerous team to play against.

“But first and foremost we have to stop losing goals…and of course I would like to get the three points.”