STRIKE MATES SETTLE SCORE
McNulty and Shankland sink hapless Ayrshire side
DUNDEE UNITED’S wait for their star strikers to spark into scoring form is over.
Two goals in four first-half minutes from Marc McNulty – his first for the club – and Lawrence Shankland gained revenge for a 4-0 thrashing at Kilmarnock in August.
The teams are going in different directions now, with this well-deserved victory sending Micky Mellon’s men up to fifth in the table.
Meanwhile, a fourth defeat on the trot for ninth-place Killie further highlighted their worrying lack of a goal threat.
United had been grinding their way into top- six contention and relying on the brilliance of shotstopper Benjamin Siegrist to stave off any fears of dropping into the relegation picture themselves.
Last night they cut loose to leave Killie reeling. Siegrist was linked with Celtic on the back of a string of impressive performances but if a Parkhead scout rocked up at Tannadice, he barely took a note.
Mellon complained that his team played with the handbrake on for too long when pinching a point at Hibs thanks an inspired Siegrist.
Here the boss revved up his men with Luke Bolton and Paul McMul lan promoted from the bench. Those changes gave them attacking width and much more menace than of late.
Good hustling by Jeando Fuchs and a bold run by Jamie Robson dragged United up the park for McNulty to angle an early shot on target.
In 25 minutes he had plenty of work on when collecting on the right 22 yards out. But he danced past Aaron Tshibola and Kirk Broadfoot and drove a deadly finish low into the bottom right-hand corner of Danny Rogers’ net.
It was a terrific piece of striker play, the type of which had been lacking up top since the Reading loanee joined Shankland and Nicky Clark in Mellon’s striker group.
That trio’s scoring records stack up nicely on paper but they hadn’t clicked on the park amid a few injury niggles.
There simply has to be a partnership and no shortage of goals in there somewhere.
Further evidence of that threat was on show when United struck again, to great relief for Shankland ending his 11-game drought. Bolton was permitted far too much space to streak down the left flank and find the Scotland man in the heart of the area.
Shankland was in a tight pocket to receive the pass with Broadfoot and Stuart Findlay close by. But this was penalty-box prowess at its finest from Shankland to steal away from the pair and tuck home his first goal since September 26.
Clevid Dikamona was the third central defender in Alex Dyer’s side until sacrificed on the hour for a much-needed second striker Nicke Kabamba.
Siegrist was tested early at his near post by Eamonn Brophy. And Greg Kiltie really should have tried out his famed reactions 20 minutes in. Chris Burke fizzed a delivery across goal and Kiltie, eight yards out, failed to steer his shot on target.
Killie gave United more of a workout in the second period but, other than a Calum Waters header ruffling the side-netting, there was little serious danger posed.
Alan Power showed his frustrations with a bad lunge on Liam Smith before being taken off but that wasn’t the only challenge that angered Mellon.
A Rogers save from Clark spilled out and there was disbelief in the United dugout after McMullan was tripped by Findlay going for the rebound - and Steven McLean refused to budge on a penalty.