McMillan after more goals at lucky Fir Park

ST JOHNSTONE: Saints striker keen to get Celtic hammering out of his system

After suffering a defeat he described as the worst afternoon of his career, David McMillan is going back to a ground which brings back memories of one of the best.

Following months of injury torment, the St Johnstone striker scored his first goal for his new club against Motherwell.

Of McMillan’s four league goals in Saints colours, three of them have come in Lanarkshire. So a trip to Fir Park could be the perfect way to get the 6-0 thrashing from Celtic out of his system.

“I have fond memories of Motherwell,” said McMillan, who has found the net twice at Hamilton.

“I scored there in a 5-1 win which was probably our best result of the season.

“Macca had got his hat-trick to say goodbye. So there was pressure on me.

“It was great coming on after my injury troubles to get my first goal for the club,” said McMillan.

“With the Hamilton goals, that part of the world has been good for me. Hopefully it will continue.”

Paul McMullan has revealed he has fallen in love with football again thanks to Robbie Neilson’s new managerial regime at Dundee United.

McMullan was the man of the match last Saturday as the Tangerines got the Neilson era off to a flying start with a 2-1 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill.

It is no secret that the player didn’t enjoy the best of relationships with previous boss Csaba Laszlo and his game time was limited.

Now, though, McMullan suddenly looks like a key member of the squad under Neilson and is looking to keep the momentum going today when Inverness Caley Thistle visit Tannadice.

McMullan said: “I really enjoyed it against Partick and, for the first time in a good while, I can honestly say that.

“I came off the pitch at half-time with a smile on my face – I was enjoying it so much. I think you play your best football when you are like that and long may that continue.

“The manager has been great. You can see he has lifted the spirits even further.

“Of course, every manager is different. Csaba came from a different country so had different training techniques and ideas. As a player, it’s about adapting to those differences.

“The sessions have been shorter under the new gaffer and I think the lads have really enjoyed them so far.

“This is a fantastic dressing-room but when things aren’t going well it can be difficult.

“If we can keep playing like we did last Saturday and get results, I’m sure we can really kick on. That’s the plan anyway.”

It was significant that, under Neilson, United played such a high pressing game against the Jags.

Indeed, their second goal – scored by Pavol Safranko – came about thanks to a combination of the Slovak and McMullan winning the ball off Stuart Bannigan.

McMullan said: “That’s down to how the manager wants to play. That’s the way he set us up. If he wants us to do the same again for this game against Inverness then that’s great.

“We pressed as high as we could towards their goal and it worked well for us at Thistle. At the end of the day, the closer you can get to their goal the better chance you have of scoring.

“It paid off for Safranko’s goal so it does definitely work.”

Neilson made a lot of the 1,000-strong travelling support at Firhill and admitted he is now looking forward to his first home game in charge.

The same goes for McMullan, who said: “The fans have been great with me since I’ve been at the club.

“Wherever we go, we have a very good following, as was shown at Thistle last weekend.

“I’m sure there will be another good turnout for Inverness and hopefully we can get the three points for them.

“They can give you that wee bit extra energy during games and we’ll be hoping that’s the case again.

”It’s still early in the season but, having said that, if we can get a few wins together we can get closer to the top and you never know what can happen.

“Our goal has never changed from the start of the season – we want to win the league. I don’t see any reason why it should change. We know what we’re capable of on our day.

“I felt at Thistle we played much better football which was much more pleasing on the eye.

“That’s what the fans want to see and

that’s what we’re striving hard for.”

Caley Thistle manager John Robertson is confident his players will react strongly to a vibrant Tannadice crowd and will relish the challenge of spoiling the home side’s party.

Robertson said: “There’s obviously an added edge to it now United have got their new manager.

“There will be a bigger crowd than normal at Tannadice for his first home game I would imagine, the players and the fans will be up for it.

“The bigger the crowd the better. We’ve got players who prefer that, who have played in big, noisy atmospheres before.

“Initially, we expect United to come out sharp and for the crowd to be up for it, but it will also inspire our players to go and perform as well.

“It’s a stadium we played terrifically well at twice last year, and we want to go down and do the same again, get the ball down and pass it.

“As we have said every week, we are expecting a tough match, although a good match between two teams that want to attack and get at each other.”

Inverness go into the game on the back of three successive draws, although that sequence has extended their undefeated run to 19 matches.

Robertson, who remains without forward George Oakley and midfielder Angus Beith through injury, says attacking has been his players’ main focus in training in the fortnight that has passed since they drew 1-1 at home to Morton, and he added: “Whilst it’s frustrating, that’s football.

“You’ve just got to pick yourself up, you move on. You can’t change the past, but you can influence the future.

“Those games have gone and we need to concentrate on Dundee United.

“Last week we topped up on fitness, strength and conditioning. This week we have been working on the intensity, explosiveness and sharpness of our play – especially in the last third.

“We are looking to go down this weekend and give a really strong performance, look sharp and productive in the final third to win the match.” iroache@thecourier.co.uk ● United last night ended Hamilton’s long unbeaten run in the Youth League with a 1-0 win at GA Arena.

Scott Banks fired in an angled drive in the 16th minute for the winner and despite some pressure from Scotland’s Uefa Youth League representatives in the second half, the Tangerines’ welldrilled defence kept them at bay. iroache@thecourier.co.uk