The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
How will title hopefuls fare during January?
This month will be hugely significant in deciding who clinches the Championship title in May. The Courier’s sports writer Ian Roache peers into his crystal ball to predict how leading pair Dundee United and St Mirren will fare.
january 6
United head down to the land of the Kelpies to face Falkirk tomorrow, while the Buddies have Inverness at home.
Taking only league positions into consideration, the Tangerines should have the easier fixture.
The Bairns sit isolated in secondbottom position and are enduring a season to forget.
It will have been noted at Tannadice that boss Paul Hartley finally got his first league win since taking charge – a 3-2 home victory over Queen of the South on December 30.
However, they were comfortably beaten by Dunfermline at East End Park last Tuesday and were engulfed in the controversy surrounding the unsavoury abuse aimed at Pars player Dean Shiels.
Unquestionably, they will be there for the taking this weekend but United have been poor all too often on the road, with memories of their secondhalf collapse in Paisley still fresh.
They will have to take the initiative and impose their passing game on Falkirk but I expect them to do both of those things. Prediction: United win.
On the same day, the Buddies will be expected to take all three points off the Highlanders, who currently sit seventh. ICT lost 4-2 in Paisley back in September and 2-0 at home in November so Saints will be confident of making it nine points out of nine.
It will, though, be interesting to see if they have been spooked by dropping points by only drawing with Morton at Cappielow on Tuesday. Prediction: St Mirren win.
january 13
United are on their travels again, this time heading over the Tay to face Dunfermline.
No Pars fan needs to be reminded of their dire record against the Tangerines, with their last win over them coming back in August 2011.
There have been some close-run things during that winless streak, though, and the East End Park men will feel that they are overdue a success against United.
Maybe so, but I still fancy Csaba Laszlo’s men to prevail in what will be a tight contest. Prediction: United win.
That same afternoon, the Buddies will be at Dumbarton. Although the Sons can be dogged and dangerous opponents, it would be a shock if the points didn’t head back over the Erskine Bridge. Prediction: St Mirren win.
january 26/27
The league action is delayed a week for the Scottish Cup, with United away to Alloa and St Mirren up at Aberdeen.
The Championship resumes on the Friday night with the Buddies heading up the Halbeath Road to face Dunfermline. This is where I can see St Mirren slipping up.
While they deserve piles of praise for sustaining their title challenge as they have done, you wouldn’t say they are miles better than the likes of the Pars or Livi, while United – in my opinion – will prove stronger than them over the season.
By all accounts, Dunfermline were worth every bit of their excellent 3-0 win over Jack Ross’s men in September and I wouldn’t be stunned to see the Buddies leave Fife with nothing again. Prediction: St Mirren loss.
The following day, the Tangerines finally return to Tannadice after three away matches to face Morton.
Laszlo’s players produced one of their finest away displays of the campaign to see off the Greenock side at Cappielow as recently as December 9.
They are obviously strong on their own patch and would be big favourites to get the better of Jim Duffy’s men once again. Prediction: United win.
That would, of course, leave the promotion rivals level on points going into February, with United still having a game in hand against Queen of the South to come.