A shocking run of eight successive defeats, an ignominious club record, has left Jim McIntyre’s side staring into the abyss. Quite how they recover their composure after a run of form that has left them devoid of spirit, energy and, crucially, hope remains to be seen.

This was as bad as it gets for the Dens Park side. There was a sense of St Johnstone playing cat and mouse with them in an opening period in which they tried to keep their place in the game but from the minute that Scott Tanser had whipped in a free-kick there was never a chance of recovery. Callum Hendry made sure of it with a diving header shortly afterwards but the alarming run looks destined to end in Ladbrokes Championship football.

Australian internationalist Ryan McGowan admitted that finding a way out of their current predicament is a test that seems beyond Dundee at the minute. He was adamant, though, that it is about a lack of quality rather than a lack of desire.

“I wouldn’t say it was a lack of fight,” he said. “There is a difference between that and lack of quality, a lack of that final ball and a lack of confidence. That can all feed into being perceived as a lack of fight. But confidence is rock bottom. It is only ourselves that can get out of it and we have left ourselves with a mountain to climb with the way results have gone and the way we have been performing.

“Time is running out. It is starting to get out of our hands. But we have to keep going, get back to training and make sure we are at it.”

That sounds fine on paper but when reality comes around on a Saturday afternoon, it is a long time since Dundee have been at it. Motherwell this weekend seems unlikely to offer any solace but McGowan is still clinging to the slim sense of hope that one result could still be the catalyst for what looks to an unlikely reprieve.

“It’s a cliché but we have to keep working hard and trying to do the right things,” he said. “That’s all we can do. There’s no point downing tools. There are still four games to play. If we win at Motherwell and results go our way we could be right back in the mix. But we have to perform a lot better.

“We find ourselves in this position not by bad luck. I can’t speak for before but we haven’t been good enough since I have come to the club.

“We really need to get the finger out. Hopefully it’s not too late. The proof is in the pudding but we didn’t look like we were good enough to win against St Johntone. We could probably still be playing and wouldn’t have scored. That has to change.”