Your soggy bottom won’t stop us staying top
Durnan: Battling United can cope with Brechin’s bog of a pitch to streak ahead
MARK DURNAN has warned Dundee United’s title rivals they are in no mood to let go of top spot in the Championship.
Csaba Laszlo’s leaders are looking to strengthen their grip on first place with victory away to bottom side Brechin this afternoon.
And United defender Durnan said: “Now we’re top we want to stay there. It’s as simple as that.
“The teams below us have a game in hand but we have the points on the board and our aim has to be to BRECHIN will be missing the injured Ryan McGeever and Andy Jackson against
who are without Jordie Briels and Lewis Toshney.
Brad McKay is banned and Collin Seedorf, Zak Elbouzedi, Charlie Trafford, Aaron Doran and Alex Cooper are all doubts for to face who welcome back Adam Eckersley but have a doubt over Dale Hilson. miss keep winning matches. That means we are going to Brechin looking to maintain our momentum.
“That’s the priority and we’re feeling good about ourselves being where we are right now.”
United are looking for four league wins in a row this afternoon at Glebe Park against Darren Dods’s lowly Danny Carmichael but have on-loan St Johnstone players Jason Kerr and Chris Kane back in their squad at home to who have Ross Brown and Scott Robertson out injured. Aaron Splaine misses out for
with a broken leg but Kallum Higginbotham and Declan McManus return from suspension to face who have Chris McLaughlin and Dimitrios Froxylias available part-timers. But Durnan insists they won’t take victory for granted in Angus having only just squeezed past them at Tannadice back in August.
He added: “You have to earn every win you get in this league.
“Brechin came to Tannadice and made it tough for us. It took a late goal to win it and it wasn’t an easy game. They sit in well and make it difficult for you to play and being at home they will want to do well.
“They’ll want to win as much as we do because they want to stay in after injuries. But Grant Gallagher, David Smith and Danny Handling all miss out.
boss Paul Hartley has added Reghan Tumilty from Ross County to his squad but Tony Gallagher, Joe McKee, Craig Sibbald and Tom Taiwo miss out against who will have to do without Luca Gasporotto who is on loan from Falkirk as well as the injured Connor McManus, Lee Kilday, Michael Tidser and Jai Quitongo. this league and to do that they have to start getting victories. So it’s important we have prepared properly, just as we did for the Falkirk game.”
Brechin defender Willie Dyer has warned United to be ready for Glebe Park’s “mudbath”.
The former Dundee full-back said: “Everyone will rightly fancy the team who are top to come to Glebe Park and take all three points.
“But we don’t see it like that and the pitch could be a factor. Most people know it’s not the best and can become very cut up at this time of the year.
“So it will be a bit of a mudbath when you compare it so somewhere like Tannadice which is an excellent surface. United played some really good stuff against Falkirk but we have to make sure they aren’t allowed to do the same at our place.
“We have to get right in their faces and with the pitch looking the way it does now they might not be able to get the ball down and play the way they like to.”
TEAMSHEET
PADDY BOYLE and Jamie Adams are missing for but Chris Higgins and Alan Forrest should be back for the visit of who have Frank McKeown, Darryl Meggatt and Thomas Grant and Declan McDonald all injured. Thomas O’Brien is 50-50 for
with Gavin Swankie, Steven Doris and Josh Skelly out injured. But visitors are without six men – Simon Mensing, Michael Kennedy, Murray MacKintosh, Marc Scott, Marc Millar and Jim Lister.
can call on Mark Hurst, Greg Hurst, Jordan Piggott and Nathan Flanagan again but injured Scott Linton and Pat Slattery miss the visit by who see the return of on-loan Dundee shot-stopper Kyle Gourlay.
On-loan Hearts striker Daria Zanatta is added to a pool minus Kevin Cuthbert, Kevin McHattie, Bobby Barr and Kyle Benedictus. visit with Sean Burns and Anton Brady back from suspension.
miss the suspended Scott Robertson to face who have a doubt over top scorer Alan Trouten.