Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Play-offs beckon for five-star Utd
CSABA Laszlo is “99%” certain Dundee United will be in the play-offs after they made it three wins in a row with a 5-0 thrashing of Brechin last night.
The Tangerines gaffer was not, though, 100% satisfied with his team’s performance at Glebe Park, even if it was their biggest win under him.
United blew relegated City away in the second half but Csaba was not happy with a goalless first half.
He admitted they got a slice of luck when a Dylan Mackin shot came back off the inside of the post in the opening minutes of the second half.
“We got some luck and I was not pleased with some of the play in the first half,” he said.
“But when we scored our goals in the second half we showed quality.”
United now need just two points from their closing two fixtures against Queen of the South and Livingston to be sure of the top four finish they need.
If they can extend the current winning run to five, they would still be in with a chance of second spot.
Csaba’s not making any predictions about that, but believes his team are heading for t he play-offs.
“This is a big win and it can change a lot for us as we are now 99% sure of the play-offs. It’s now a case of fighting to see if we finish second, third or fourth.”
He singled out supersub Scott McDonald for his Man-of-the-Match performance that saw him come on at the break, score two goals and have a hand in a couple of others.“
You can all see the quality Scott has. I spoke to him before the game and said I wanted to give him a rest because he has played a few games in a row.
“He showed great determination to come off the bench and play like that.
McDonald had replaced Grant Gillespie, who the home side felt should’ve been sent off for a foul on Callum Tapping late in the first period.
Csaba believed referee Craig Charleston got it right when he only brandished a yellow card.
And he denied the incident had prompted his decision to take the midfielder off at the interval.
“I think Gillespie got the ball clean and not the man but it was a tackle with both feet so it was right the referee gave a foul and a yellow card.
“This was not why I took him off — it was because I needed us to be more attacking in the second half.”