Our work’s not Dun
DUNDEE U v MORTON Spittal warns United if they relax they’ll let rivals back in it
BLAIR SPITTAL last night warned Dundee United not to think their play-off tie with Morton is over.
The Tangerines welcome Jim Duffy’s side to Tannadice tonight for the second leg of their quarter-final having won 2-1 at Cappielow earlier in the week.
Ray McKinnon’s men triumphed in Greenock thanks to midfielder Spittal’s second-half winner after going behind early on. And now he is urging his team-mates to avoid becoming complacent on home turf where they’ve lost only once – to champions Hibs – all season.
Spittal said: “There’s no way we’re thinking that’s us through.
“We’ve got a great home record but the minute we start thinking the tie is over, that’s when we let Morton back in.
“We can’t become complacent. Morton will come out and have a go at us and we have to be aware of that and get ready for it.
“If we are and we’re on it, that can play into our hands. We can use the space they need to attack us and get at them instead.” Spittal revealed McKinnon tore into his players after a flat first-half display and insists there will be no repeat as they bid to seal a semi-final date with Falkirk. He added: “We know what happened in the first half and can’t allow that to happen again. “It was terrible. We got a bit of a kick up the backside from the gaffer at half-time and rightly so because we weren’t putting enough pressure on them. “We did much better in the second half. To be honest I don’t think we could have got much worse in the first half. “There were no excuses for it. The gaffer was right to have a go at us. “If we play like we did in the second half we would be confident of having a chance against anyone.” Spittal couldn’t have chosen a better time to return to scoring ways and the 21-year-old is aiming to add a few more to his tally as United chase a top-flight return.
He said: “I didn’t put away a few chances this season when I should have.
“That was frustrating but I kept my head down and now the chances have started going in.
“Hopefully I can build on that because it’s another massive game against Morton.”
United could be without teenage full-back Jamie Robson who has a back problem so Paul Dixon is on standby.
Boss McKinnon said: “It’s a muscle thing and has been bothering Jamie for a while.
“He was feeling it down at Cappielow on Tuesday so we’ll see how he is nearer kick-off.”
Scott Fraser is recovering well from his broken foot but is targeting a place on the bench should United make it through to the semi-final against Falkirk next week.