Smith: Cup win can send league rivals message

V ICTORY for D u ndee United in their Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup tie against Arbroath on Saturday will send out another strong message to their rivals that they’re the team to beat in the Championship.

That’s the belief of attacker Cammy Smith as he hopes for his first competitive start of the campaign.

Smith is likely to get his wish as boss Robbie Neilson gives game time to some of his fringe players.

If that’s the case, on a personal level he’ll see it as another chance to stake a claim for starts in the Championship, but also to help the Tangerines show they have both quality and attitude to worry the rest.

“If we can win this tie it sends out a message that we are taking every game seriously,” he said.

“We have a strong squad, even if there are changes for this game we will want to win.

“We know it will be a difficult tie because Arbroath are a strong team and they have started the season very well.”

And even if the Challenge Cup is not a top priority this term, the former Aberdeen and St Mirren man believes throughout the entire squad the desire to stretch the current winning run to five games is strong.

“We are all hungry. The other night in the derby against Dundee we didn’t rest on what we had when we were well up and that’s what you want as a team.

“You don’t want to let anything get in the way of things when you are in this kind of form.

“I know the l eague is the priority but we want to win every game we go into and we want to keep playing well in the cup.”

He also knows playing his part in another victory will help his chances of claiming the regular starting slot he so wants. However, he appreciates for any of the fringe players at United right now, forcing a way into the team is not easy.

“The boys have started the season really well and I think, since that East Fife game when we got beat in the Betfred Cup, we’ve really upped things.

“Before that we were bang at it