The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Reynolds takes shot at referee following cup exit
Mark Reynolds reckons Dundee United were robbed of a fair crack at reaching the Premier Sports Cup semifinals by dodgy refereeing decisions.
But he also fears his own reputation could take an unjust hammering after he was penalised for the spot-kick that saw Hibs race three goals clear.
Reynolds replaced the injured Charlie Mulgrew 17 minutes into Thursday’s defeat to the Hibees and was fingered by referee Willie Collum on the stroke of half-time for bringing down Paul McGinn in the box.
Replays showed the penalty award was extremely soft – and Reynolds revealed he told Collum on the pitch that he had made the wrong call.
The whistler later incorrectly ruled out a Peter Pawlett strike that would have made the score 3-2.
And after having to bide his time for a chance in Tam Courts’ United rear guard, the 34-year-old fears the referee’s decisionmaking could taint his big return to action.
“It’s one of those ones, you don’t know how much you can say,” said Reynolds.
“Pete’s goal is onside, it’s never a penalty. That’s the hardest thing to take.
“You can take not turning up or not taking your chances but when it’s outwith your control it’s hard to take.
“If you go after referees and say this and that you get hauled up for it.
“But with the penalty, I don’t know how he gambles or what he sees.
“I spoke to him on the pitch and he was convinced it was a penalty. I was telling him it wasn’t.
“And Pete’s goal, if it brings us back to 3-2 it changes the whole game. It’s two massive decisions.
“It’s disappointing that happens and you are left to pick up the pieces.
“I know referees are human but it doesn’t make it any easier to take.”
Reynolds, whose appearance against Hibs was his first since United’s opening-day defeat to Aberdeen, added: “I knew I had to wait for my chance and then try and do as well as I could. I felt I did that.
“But you know what football is like, there were only a few thousand at the game, it was on Premier Sports.
“People will be looking at it and see I’ve given away a penalty and they’ll be thinking ‘he’s been out the game for four or five weeks, he’s had a stinker’.
“That’s from a guy’s mistake I have no control over.
“That’s the most frustrating thing. You do everything you can to get back to try and reclaim your place.
“But if you ask anybody how I played, they’ll say I’ve given away a penalty to make it 3-0 and it’s cost them (in) the cup.
“But if you were actually at the game you would see that wasn’t the case.”
With tomorrow likely to come to soon for Charlie Mulgrew, Reynolds is hopeful of retaining his place in defence against Celtic.
And he is confident that Tam Courts’ way of playing gives United a fighting chance.
“These are the games you do want to play in,” he said.
“When we were in the Championship that’s what we spoke about, playing Rangers at Ibrox, Celtic at Parkhead, going to Hearts and Hibs.
“It’s disappointing when a team-mate gets injured but it opens the door up for me.
“And hopefully I can come back in and play games, because when you are sitting on the bench you realise how much you miss it.
“Celtic have almost gone under the radar a wee bit, which is a strange thing to say. It’s like there’s still a bit of negativity around them from last year.
“They’re still a good side, they’re good going forward, they’re always dangerous.
“But we have gone into every game this season with a game plan and we feel if we commit to it then we can win the game.”
Meanwhile, Courts has revealed the injuries sustained by United stars Charlie Mulgrew and Marc McNulty against Hibs are “not as bad as first feared”.
Early indications are that neither player will require a lengthy lay-off, with Mulgrew providing particular cause for optimism.
Tomorrow’s clash with Celtic will come too soon for the defender – as it will for McNulty, whose prognosis is less clear – but United’s head coach believes Mulgrew’s quick response to sustaining his injury at Tannadice has given him a chance of returning quickly.
“The boys were in this morning recovering and the initial feeling is one where, particularly with Charlie, it’s not as bad as first feared,” said Courts.
“We’re still currently assessing Marc, so we’ll wait on that one settling down over the next 24 hours.
“But both are muscular injuries and both players are feeling optimistic at the moment.
“I think Charlie will struggle for Sunday but he’s a guy who knows his body and, fortunately for us, we were able to get him off in the nick of time against Hibs. That’s a relief.
“Charlie and Sparky are both influential players for us, so to lose both of them against Hibs was really frustrating.”
The Hoops sit sixth in the cinch Premiership after losing all three away games and boss Ange Postecoglou’s injury concerns mounted further this week.
New striker Giorgos Giakoumakis suffered a calf injury in the warm-up ahead of Celtic’s 3-0 Premier Sports Cup win over Raith Rovers on Thursday and Mikey Johnston was absent again four days after making his first appearance of the season.
Attackers James Forrest, Kyogo Furuhashi and Karamoko Dembele are still missing along with defenders Greg Taylor, Christopher Jullien and midfielder Callum McGregor, who yesterday committed himself to the club until the summer of 2026, weeks after being named captain ahead of the new campaign.