United fancy chances no

Durnan eyeing second place, but insists building momentum is main aim

Mark Durnan insists Dundee United will “fancy their chances” in the play-offs, regardless of where they finish in the league table.

The Tangerines are locked in a battle with second-placed Falkirk to see who will finish as runners-up to Championship winners Hibs.

United currently sit third, just a point behind the Bairns, and travel to Cappielow today to play Morton, while their rivals head to Dumbarton.

They have to win in Renfrewshire and hope that Peter Houston’s men either lose or draw across the Clyde at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium.

Whatever will be, will be, according to Durnan.

Mind you, the big centre-half is obviously hoping that United will be the ones to sit out the third versus fourth play-off quarter-final that would kick-off back at Cappielow on Tuesday night.

Durnan said: “We know if we finish second we have two fewer games and that does give you a better opportunity to progress.

“However, if we end up third I think it is important we go into the play-offs with some momentum.

“I am pretty sure, whether we finish second or third, we will fancy our chances.

“I think our form has been good overall.

“We could have been in a better position and it was a really disappointing result against Dumbarton.

“I guess it might be impossible to avoid hearing what is going on in the Falkirk game but you just need to make sure you are concentrating on yourself and doing your own job.

“If another team does you a favour then fair enough but you can only influence your own match.

“It would not be a shock if Dumbarton got something off Falkirk because they have had some great results – unfortunately, some have come against us.

“However, our focus will be all on trying to beat Morton and then, come five o’clock on Saturday, we will think about what lies ahead of us.”

United will have to do without the services of both defender William Edjenguele and striker Simon Murray at Cappielow, with the pair serving bans.

Durnan, himself, is just one booking away from a suspension that would fall during the later play-off stages so he is desperate to avoid a yellow card.

On the plus side, he has done a fine job of staying out of trouble since way back on January 28, when a booking against Dunfermline edged him close to the tipping point.

Durnan joked: “Simon and William have been smart and taken their bookings early, whereas I haven’t!

“On a serious note, you can’t let something like that affect your game.

“I have been on the borderline for three months now and I hope to stay there. “You just get on with it. “I have managed to avoid a booking for a while so I guess that shows that I haven’t been thinking about it.

“It is really not something that is on your mind when you go out there – doing your job is what gets all your focus and concentration.”

While United boss Ray McKinnon has been unable to freshen up his side as much as he would have liked, the same can’t be said of Ton boss Jim Duffy.

He has been able to rest key men ahead of the play-offs, although it has been at a cost as Morton have not won since mid-March – eight games ago.

Durnan isn’t sure that Duffy’s strategy is necessarily the best one.

He said: “It can work against you and you could say it worked against Hibs when they went to La Manga a couple of years ago.

“It can work both ways in that you can have that freshness but players might also think they are on holiday because they have had time away.

“So it could be good to keep playing and having momentum.”

Duffy, though, plans to continue giving fringe players a chance to impress.

He said: “I changed a few things around last weekend for the Dunfermline game last Saturday and I will do so again for this one.

“I have thrown down the gauntlet to a number of players to prove to me that should play in the play-offs.

“We have a responsibility to field a strong team and we will do that but it will be a team with Tuesday in mind as well.

“I gave some boys the opportunity last week and will do the same in this game.”

United have opened talks with Hearts’ Billy King with a view to bringing the attacker, currently on loan at Inverness, to Tannadice.