Future is bright orange
IRN-BRU CUP FINAL United give stuttering league campaign an injection of fizz after coming through tense Fir Park showpiece, reports Graeme Macpherson Dundee United
PROMOTION remains the primary objective for Dundee United this season but, in the midst of an indifferent run of league form, this won’t do them any harm at all. Some 30 years on from losing to the same opposition in the Scottish Cup final, the Tannadice side belatedly got their revenge on St Mirren on a sunny afternoon at Fir Park yesterday.
The Irn-Bru Cup may not be considered one of Scottish football’s more cherished baubles but, in victory, United will hope it will imbue them with the self-belief required to go on and seal promotion back to the Premiership via the play-offs.
They were just about worth the victory. They had in Tony Andreu the game’s outstanding player and were clinical with two of their chances while St Mirren squandered all but one of theirs, in the first half especially.
Like United, Jack Ross’ side have more pressing matters to attend to as they try to preserve their Championship status, although the disappointed look on the players’ faces as they traipsed over to salute their fans at full-time suggested they would have liked to have got their hands on some silverware, too.
United reached the final on their previous appearance in this competition – current manager Ray McKinnon playing in the team that was beaten by Stenhousemuir back in season 1995/96 – but they atoned for that shock this time.
A header by Thomas Mikkelsen 15 minutes from time put them back in front after the sides had traded first-half goals in the space of a minute and this time St Mirren, despite a late rally, had no response. The trophy was heading to Tayside.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” said McKinnon. “It was a tough game and there was a lot of pressure on us but I thought the guys delivered. There has been a bit of criticism our way, probably self-inflicted.
“We have got ourselves caught in battles and the message today was to get the ball down and play – and I think they did that. Credit must go to St Mirren. They made it very difficult for us. But we have won a cup.
“We’ve had the experience of dealing with the final and the pressure that goes with it. So that will be good for me and the players for the rest of the season. They should take a lot of confidence from this.”
United did not create an abundance of chances and surrendered a lot of the ball to St Mirren but scored two excellent goals.
The first arrived after 37 minutes, a period when their opponents had been easing into the ascendancy.
Andreu saw his first shot blocked but when the rebound came back to him he did not hesitate before shaping a volley away from goalkeeper Billy O’Brien and into the far corner of the net. Probably nobody else on the pitch could have mastered that technique with such aplomb.
Mikkelsen will claim the headlines as the match-winner but the Dane must thank Simon Murray for such an inch-perfect cross from wide on the left.
“With the defence scattered, Mikkelsen’s powerful header was always going to hit the net. St Mirren’s goal was well-worked, too, and arrived a minute after they’d fallen behind, full-back Gary Irvine providing the pass for on-loan Dundee forward Rory Loy to slot past Cammy Bell.
By half-time, however, they ought to have been in front.
Loy had previously struck the outside of the post after being fed a pass from Lewis Morgan, before the winger scampered on to a John Sutton lay-off, took two touches and then screwed his shot wide of goal.
Still they came at United. Adam Eckersley’s cross made it right across the box to Kyle Magennis who was snuffed out by Bell as he shaped to shoot, while defender Gary MacKenzie headed off target from a Stevie Mallan corner when he probably ought to have done better.
The St Mirren fans roared their approval as the teams went off at half-time, unaware this was as good as it was going to get with Mikkelsen ending their hopes of a trophy. However, they have bigger battles ahead, however, with next Saturday’s Championship match against Ayr United already looking critical.
Ross was naturally disappointed but not despondent as he reflected on his team’s performance and looked to the challenges ahead.
“A cup final is about winning on the day and Dundee United have done that so they deserve plaudits,” said the St Mirren manager. “I thought we created the clearer opportunities. So from that perspective I have no complaints about my team’s performance. It was worthy of a cup final even if they haven’t got their rewards on the day.
“There are players in there who believe in what they are doing so if they can maintain that performance level over the remaining games we will win enough games [to stay up]. That’s what the players have to take from today.”