Pairing can prove crucial for United

Mikkelsen reckons strike partnership can lead Tangerines to promotion

Dundee United striker Thomas Mikkelsen believes his partnership with Simon Murray can help fire the club to promotion.

The Danish frontman and former Arbroath player have teamed up to score eight goals in the Tangerines’ last eight matches and will both be looking for more in this evening’s home clash with Dumbarton.

Such has been the success of the Mikkelsen-Murray combination that manager Ray McKinnon has decided to play star man Tony Andreu in a more withdrawn role to accommodate them.

That is a big compliment from the gaffer and Mikkelsen insists McKinnon won’t regret it as United aim to grab second spot in the Championship ahead of Falkirk and thereby secure a later entry into the Premiership play-offs.

Mikkelsen said: “It is going really well for me just now.

“I have confidence and I think I can make more goals in the next few matches.

“I believe Simon and I work well together and that will be very important in the matches that are left in our season. “It can be crucial. “He is a very good player and he has already made a few assists for me as well as getting goals himself.

“We will have an important role to play, for sure.

“To win games you need to score goals and I feel we are both in good form.”

Mikkelsen’s latest strike for United was his spectacular – and controversial – opener against St Mirren last weekend, a match won 3-2 by the Tannadice men thanks to Blair Spittal’s last-gasp goal.

He was accused of fouling Buddies defender Gary MacKenzie in the run-up then was clattered by the same player later in the game, suffering a cut above his eye.

The on-loan Odense player didn’t let the wound spoil his day, saying: “I got stitches above my eye but I wanted to be back on the field as quickly as possible.

“It was more important to get the victory than worry about my injury.”

The Sons, of course, have made life difficult for United this season, winning both games down in Dumbarton.

Mikkelsen, though, thinks Tangerines will triumph this time. “I have a belief in this team,” he said. “We have a good home record and I think if we play as well as we know we can then we will win this match.

“We have to keep the pressure on Falkirk and see where we end up.”

Murray is free to face the Sons in the 5.15 pm kick-off before serving a onegame suspension in the final match of the regulation season against Morton at Cappielow next weekend.

However, central defender William Edjenguele is banned for both fixtures before becoming available again for the play-offs.

With Lewis Toshney ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a dislocated shoulder, Frank van der Struijk scuppered by a calf problem and Sean Dillon still sidelined, that leaves Coll Donaldson to come in and partner Mark Durnan in central defence tonight.

Dumbarton will take the field knowing how their rivals in the relegation scrap have got on but it will not change manager Stephen Aitken’s thinking about the game.

Aitken reckons that the time to assess where his men are will be after they have faced Ray McKinnon’s side.

He said: “Things will be a lot clearer come about half-past seven and we will all know what we need to do on the last day.

“I am not getting caught up in all the permutations as preparing to play Dundee United away is difficult enough without having to come up with different strategies.

“They are the best at this level at home but we have beaten them twice at our place so we can take confidence from that.

“We will look to go there and be competitive.”