The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Quality second half was key to victory – Neilson
Dee gifted United two goals, says Mcpake – and blames individual errors for defeat
Victorious Dundee United manager Robbie Neilson was delighted with the way his team raced away from Dundee in the second half.
The Tangerines secured their second derby win of the season at Dens last night, thanks to goals from Nicky Clark and Lawrence Shankland.
The result moved Neilson’s Championship leaders six points clear of second-placed Ayr United and nine clear of the Dark Blues.
The United gaffer thought the first period was pretty even but that his side took control thereafter.
Neilson said: “I thought we did very well in the second half, while the first half was quite even.
“There wasn’t much quality but in the second half we were more comfortable so I was pleased.
“At half-time, we spoke about continuing to do what we did in the first half but putting Dundee under more pressure.
“We were doing the things we wanted to do and showed our quality in the second half.”
Once again, Shankland was the hero of the United fans and he will be missed next Saturday.
He will be in Cyprus with Scotland while the Tangerines are taking on Queen of the South at Tannadice. Neilson said: “Lawrence got his goal! “He is a very, very good player and we will miss him next week when he is away with Scotland. I was also really pleased to get Nicky Clark another goal, too, as he is going to be important to us.”
Neilson stressed, though, that the team won’t rest on their laurels after seeing off the Dark Blues.
He added: “Everyone is happy at the moment but we have to win again next week – that’s the pressure of being at Dundee United. There is a long way to go and plenty of ups and downs.
“We just have to make sure there are far more ups than downs.”
Neilson also mentioned the away support, saying: “The unity between the fans and the club had taken a hit over a few years but that has changed now.
“The fans want hard work and players to be committed – that’s what the players are showing.”
Dundee boss James Mcpake meanwhile felt mistakes cost his team.
He highlighted Declan Mcdaid’s foul on the Tangerines’ Liam Smith that led to Nicky Clark’s first goal from the penalty spot as well as Andrew Nelson losing the ball to Lawrence Shankland in the build-up to the second.
Mcpake said: “It was a scrappy game and there wasn’t much in it in the first half. Two individual errors cost us and it has cost us the game.
“You have to make the right decisions. We steamed into a tackle and gifted Dundee United the opportunity to take the lead.
“For the second, we gave the ball away cheaply and it was another goal where they didn’t have to work hard enough.
“We gifted them two goals. “Every time you lose a derby it hurts. Recent results don’t matter – tonight is what matters. We go away feeling we have let the fans down but we have to pick ourselves up.
“This is going to be another sore weekend and we have another few weeks until our next game so we have to get back to working on the training ground.”