Wasps leave Shankland in the shade
ALLOA ATHLETIC DUNDEE UNITED GEORGE GRANT 1 0
LAWRENCE SHANKLAND drew a rare blank last night as Dundee United blew their chance to move clear at the Championship summit. Kevin O’Hara scored the only goal of the game for Alloa after 18 minutes in a shock result which will see managerless Ayr United go top if they avoid defeat at home to Inverness today. Scorer of 15 goals so far this season, Shankland naturally commanded all the pre-match attention following his call-up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for next week’s double-header with Russia and San Marino. However, aside from a fluffed 74th-minute chance, the 24-year-old cut an isolated figure for much of the televised encounter at the Indodrill stadium. Shankland, who netted six times against the Wasps with Ayr last season, was involved in the first meaningful moment when his pass sent Peter Pawlett scampering into the box, but the midfielder’s low drive was held by Alloa keeper Jamie MacDonald. That was as good as it got for United in the first half as the hosts took the initiative. And they went ahead when O’Hara slotted home a close-range finish to cap a fine move. Scott Taggart sent Kevin Cawley clear and his pass was perfectly weighted for O’Hara to score. Alloa went for the jugular as United lost their shape at the back. Indeed, only Troy Brown’s timely block prevented a second for the Wasps from Iain Flannigan. Then the dangerous O’Hara shot just wide from 18 yards. Half-hearted United appeals for a penalty were ignored by referee Greg Aitken when a Shankland drive inside the area was blocked by Andy Graham. The visitors finally perked up and Paul McMullan had a drive parried by MacDonald before Shankland headed wide with a chance he should have buried. The home side played out the final four minutes with ten men after Flannigan was shown his second yellow card for a foul on Louis Appere. Afterwards, Alloa manager Peter Grant said: ‘I’m delighted. We were playing against an excellent side and we should have had a couple of more goals in the first half.’ In contrast, United boss Robbie Neilson was disappointed with his team’s performance. ‘We didn’t compete the way we should. If you want to win a title, you have to win the physical battles,’ he said. ‘We’re 1-0 down and there are no bookings for us — and that tells a story.’ ALLOA (4-4-2): MacDonald; Taggart, Graham, Deas, Robertson; Cawley, Hetherington, Flannigan, Brown (Buchanan 79); Trouten, O’Hara. Subs not used: Gilhooley, Thomson, O’Donnell, Gillespie, Henry. Booked: Flannigan, Trouten. Sent off: Flannigan. DUNDEE UTD (4-4-2): Siegrist; Watson, Brown, Reynolds, L Smith (Appere 57); McMullan, Harkes (C Smith 69), Stanton (Meekison 61), Sporle; Shankland, Pawlett. Subs not used: Graham, Mehmet, Chalmers, King. Booked: None. Referee: Greg Aitken. Att: 1,717.