United failed to follow through

Tangeries must look to strengths after early goal failed to secure the game

MORTON 1 DUNDEE UNITED 1

Imposing your style of play rather than succumbing to your opponents’ is a must-do on the road for title hopefuls like Dundee United.

And, after falling short in that regard at one daunting championship venue, they’ll get a second chance to show they can succeed at another in just a few days.

Inverness Caley Thistle away is United’s next fixture and Frederic Frans believes the Tangerines need to avoid getting sucked into a tennis match in the Highlands, as they did in the 1-1 draw with Morton.

The centre-back gave Robbie Neilson’s men the lead just after the half-hour mark at Cappielow with a looping header from a Fraser Aird free-kick.

A game that was under their control in the first period became much more of a lottery in the second, with the 78th-minute equaliser a consequence of poor game management.

There was no questioning United’s appetite for a battle. It’s just that they forgot where their strengths lie.

“It is difficult playing away but you should see a game like that out once you take the lead,” said Frans.

“Of course we would have taken a hard fought 1-0 before kick-off. We knew what to expect. Matches like these aren’t pretty and you need to do the ugly part of the game.

“We have to match teams in the battle first but then we need our quality to show.

“Once you get sucked into their game it turns into a tennis match. At the right times we need to get the ball down and pass it.

“Our football needs to be better. We’re good players but we just need the courage to get on the ball a bit more.”

Frans was one of four changes to the United team which was thrashed by Ayr eight days earlier. Matej Rakovan was another.

It was the keeper’s decision to try to punch away a Michael Tidser free-kick – and his failure to then make a proper connection – which resulted in the ball dropping on to the head of Gregor Buchanan and subsequently finding its way from there into an empty net.

Frans has backed his team-mate to bounce back from the error.

“He has tried to punch it away and he has missed it and it’s gone all the way to the guy at the back post,” he said.

“It’s obviously disappointing but that’s part of being a goalkeeper. You know that if you make a mistake as a goalie or a centre-back there’s a good chance it will lead to a goal. He’s a good guy, a hard worker and a very strong character. These things happen.”

United didn’t lose any ground in the title race, with Ross County drawing.

“That’s a bonus,” said Frans. “But it’s bitter as well because we could have gained two points on them. We’ve just got one point out of six so we know that we need to start winning games again.”

A 1-1 draw away from home sounds a lot better than a 5-0 hammering at Tannadice but Neilson seemed every bit as frustrated as he was the week before.

“In the first half we dominated, passed the ball, got ourselves into good areas and then we also scored the goal,” he said.

“In the second half we got caught up in a direct game. They went straight to their striker and played off him. We lacked the composure to pass it, which had brought us success in the first half. We should have killed the game but we should know how to deal with a 1-0 lead.

“And we know we shouldn’t be giving away free-kicks around the box because they get good delivery from Tidser and have big centre-halves.

“It was a schoolboy free-kick. That was the biggest problem.

“We knew free-kicks into the box would be their best opportunity to score.

“I was very, very disappointed last week and it was similar here. This was a great opportunity with Ross County drawing. We were in a winning position and let it slip.

“People will say it’s tough at Cappielow but that’s two points dropped for me. We need to get back to winning ways.”

Morton boss Jonatan Johansson said: “The second half was one of our best home performances of the season. We definitely deserved at least a point.”