Utd grind Sons make it tough but Tangerines find a way to take the three points

PLAYERRATINGS

DUNDEE United moved up to second in the Championship with a victory that sums up what this division is all about.

Despite the 2-1 win over Dumbarton, including a string of saves by both goalkeepers that were top drawer, no one at Tannadice on Saturday could pretend the 90 minutes were eye-pleasing.

Most of the football was as dreich at as the dark grey skies above that produced repeated downpours.

In short, it wasn’t bonnie. What it was, though, was another win for a team that’s now the real deal when it comes to a promotion challenge.

And, if come next May, that challenge is successful and United are packing their bags to head back to t he Premiership, it’ll be in no small part down to an ability to win on days like these.

Even during the dark days of last season, we all knew this was a team that was capable of playing quality attacking football that most opposition would struggle to live with.

Although under Ray McKinnon there’s been a massive turnover in terms of personnel, that ability has been retained.

What the new manager has added, however, is the ability to take the points in games where not everything goes to plan and the other team simply won’t let United play the way they want to.

Dumbarton are one such side and there are plenty others in this league. That makes being able to find a way to get the better of them, even if it means not playing the kind of football you want, is a huge asset.

And that’s what made Saturday a satisfying, if quickly forgettable, 90 minutes.

In terms of how the action unfolded, things might have been different if Scott Fraser, putting in another fine performance, had rounded off what would be one of the game’s few flowing moves, by netting from near the penalty spot after Nick van der Velden had teed him up perfectly.

Fraser’s shot was helped on to the post by keeper Alan Martin, who was then also able to bat away the rebound with an outstretched hand. With that chance gone, United soon learned this was a clash in which they were going to have to grind out victory.

To be fair to the Sons, as well as defending well, they also showed they could be dangerous in attack.

Cammy Bell in the home goal made two first-half stops that were superb and again reminded us what a cracking addition he’s been. As the game progressed into the second half the question became whether the home side could break through that determined defence.

When they did, there was a slice of luck involved and, for those who like their football good to watch, a little poetic justice.

The opener came when a Fraser corner was headed into his own net by Mark Docherty.

That soured an otherwise fine display by Docherty but, given his task had been to do a man-marking job on Tony Andreu and his success reduced the entertainment value considerably, few Arabs will have seen little need to feel much sympathy for him.

When William Edjenguele blasted home a second it should have been plain sailing but a careless moment allowed Robert Thomson to pull a goal back.

That kept United on their toes to the final whistle but they saw the game out and took the three points.