Shankland

Goal machine gets United out of jail at Tannadice as they stay top of the table

TEN goals in 10 games before th is game was impressive but the 2-1 win over Arbroath is exactly why D u ndee Un ited pushed the boat out to land goal machine Lawrence Shankland.

In a match where the Tangerines barely deserved a draw at Tannadice, Shankland popped up with two goals in the final five minutes to turn the tables and keep his side top of the division.

On the back of a 2-0 loss at Ayr United, it looked like the early-season authority was leaking out of United.

Shankland, however, injected uncut belief straight into the veins of the Tangerines.

His 11th and 12th goals of the season turned one of the most miserable days of the campaign into possibly one of the most important.

Dick Campbell’s side were within minutes of a first win over United in 90 minutes since 1969 – and a first at Tannadice since 1958.

Even the most diehard tangerine would find it difficult to argue they wouldn’t have deserved it.

After a first period that could be described as attack against defence, where Shankland cracked the post among a number of efforts on the Arbroath goal, the visitors were within minutes of the perfect underdog away-day performance in the second 45.

Struggling to get through the encamped defence, the Tangerines came out after the break knowing they needed to up the tempo and cut the aimless long balls punted forward.

What they didn’t expect, though, was Arbroath to come flying out of the traps.

Lichties favourite Bobby Linn gave the home side a warning as he got the better of Liam Smith and cut the ball across goal.

That wasn’t heeded, however, as seconds later the Dundonian was given too much space and he made United pay.

A lovely curling cross found Luke Donnelly to toe the ball past Benjamin Siegrist.

And it could easily have been worse than just 1-0 as substitute Josh Campbell crashed a brilliant effort off the woodwork and then Steven Doris rolled wide from inside the area before the hour mark.

The second half was a real laboured affair from the home side and prompted chants of ‘we can see you sneaking out’ from a noisy Lichties support.

Shankland, though, gave the departing home fans a real lesson – don’t be leaving early while I’m on the pitch.

Eventually, as time began to run out, United began to find spaces as Arbroath tired, with substitute Paul McMullan pulling the strings.

And he found the killer pass with two minutes remaining, feeding Shankland at the far post.

As soon as he took the touch there was only one place the ball was going, the back of the net.

United had got out of jail and minutes later Arbroath felt robbed.

Liam Smith swung it in for Shankland to head home, the ball kissing the post on its way in to cue delirious celebration.

He was brought in to be the difference and Shankland is doing just that.

Scoring goals is what he does and why the club did everything to sign him up. Terrors hitman Lawrence Shankland turns home the equaliser.