The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Shankland’s late double sinks Lichties
Agony for Arbroath after United striker snatches points for home side
DUNDEE UNITED 2 ARBROATH 1
A week earlier, Lawrence Shankland was the subject of a row. This time he was the focus of a “Wow.”
His stoppage-time winner at Tannadice was a drop-the-mic moment that provided the perfect answer to Ian McCall’s outburst at Ayr seven days earlier.
On Saturday, the striker strolled on to the stage and left the opposition lost for words.
Whereas “Shanksgate” had revolved around comments about coaching made in a Tangerines’ statement that upset McCall, United’s summer signing from the Honest Men did all his talking on the pitch.
Match reports – including my own – that included dusted off historical details of Arbroath’s last league win at Tannadice 60 years ago were ripped up and restarted, all because of Shankland.
He also managed to keep his team at the top of the table, ahead of the Somerset Park side on goal difference.
If United do go on to win the Championship title – and it’s still a big “if” after this poor performance – then he will surely be the one to get them over the line.
Ten goals in six league games – it’s 12 in all competitions – is a pretty special total in any league in any country.
Manager Robbie Neilson must be tempted to build a protective fence around Shankland so that he doesn’t get injured.
Paul McMullan, who provided the perfect ball for Shankland’s first goal, revealed he was already thinking about how they could get a second as soon as the striker collected his pass.
The United sub had such faith in the frontman that he just assumed he would bury it.
McMullan said: “To be honest, as soon as I saw he had controlled it I thought it was in and I was already thinking about how we can go and get a winner.
“He just doesn’t usually miss from there, so I was pretty confident it was going to be a goal.
“Thankfully, Lawrence did what he usually does and got us the win.
“We knew it was going to be difficult having played them a couple of weeks ago in the Tunnock’s Cup.
“We got the feel for what they were going to be like.
“They scored with one of their few shots on target, which made it difficult for us.
“We were a wee bit worried but you just have to keep doing what you have been doing.
“If it’s not your day then there is nothing you can do about it but, thankfully, it was our day and we managed to get three points.”
McMullan admitted that, having looked down and out, this remarkable turnaround can provide United with a massive psychological boost for the weeks and months ahead.
He added: “When we were away to Partick we had a poor first half but then came back to win, so we knew we were capable of it.
“There is good character there. It is something that we have in this dressing room, so hopefully we can keep showing it.
“Even last week at Ayr we hit the post at 1-0, so that could have turned that game around.
“It is hard to compare this team to ones from the past and probably unfair but this group does have a togetherness and a never-say-die approach.
“All that matters are the three points and you don’t really care how you get them.”
United didn’t just snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, they ripped it out.
It was extremely cruel on Arbroath, who look nothing like the relegation candidates that some people had them labelled as before the season kicked off.
They took the lead through Luke Donnelly’s strike on 53 minutes and hit the post, watched a Steven Doris shot trickle just wide and had a claim for a penalty waved away – all with the scoreboard reading 0-1.
Their midfielder James Murphy, one of many star men in maroon, admitted it was a sore one.
The American said: “We feel really hard done by.
“There were two good goals from Dundee United to come from behind and win it but after seeing how hard we worked as a unit, we feel like we deserved more.
“It wasn’t a good feeling in the dressing room at the end.
“It’s a tough loss. We played so well for 88 minutes and then just switched off for the last few minutes and were punished.
“It’s our sixth game in the league and we’ve been pretty solid in all of them. I thought every single one of our players was terrific out there.
“We defended well and when we broke we did so in numbers. We had other chances to score and hit the post but we have still ended up losing.”
The Tangerines were as bad as the Lichties were good.
It was hard to believe that these same Tangerines had torn Dundee to shreds in the derby just three weeks ago on this very pitch.
They did come within a whisker of the lead on 41 minutes when a Shankland shot came back off the post but it was the visitors who opened the scoring as the match moved into its 53rd minute.
The scorer was Donnelly and the provider was, not surprisingly, Bobby Linn, who took a great ball from Murphy then crossed for Donnelly to find the net.
United immediately took off Cammy Smith and brought on McMullan – a move that would pay dividends.
On the hour mark, it was nearly 2-0 to Arbroath when sub Josh Campbell smashed a shot off the United post.
Doris, who had come on as a sub for the Angus men, took his turn to torment the Tannadice team when he steered a shot inches wide.
It was torture for the home fans as they watched their players huff and puff but Shankland then saved the day.
With the clock reading 88 minutes, he took a great pass from McMullan before sending a low, angled drive into the Arbroath net.
United then went for a winner and Shankland climbed highest to head home a Liam Smith cross into the net before whipping off his shirt and celebrating in front of the relieved home fans.
Tannadice boss Robbie Neilson said: “At the end of the season, nobody really cares how you get your points tally.
“There are going to be days like this but it’s about continuing to go to the end.
“They were very hard to break down and the two centre halves took care of Shankland for the majority of the game
but, when you start getting that quality into him, Lawrence does what he is good at.”
Gayfield gaffer Dick Campbell said: “That’s what Shankland does for a living as he is so prolific.
“His wages are probably more than my whole team put together! He scores goals for fun.
“I can’t fault our players. I felt we were by far the better team and restricted them to playing long passes.
“Our game plan was to do exactly that and let the fans do the rest.
“My players were brilliant.
“I’m not a manager who will be feeling sorry for myself.
“I think Arbroath’s got a good team and good players and it’s time people realised that.”
After that get-out-of-jail game, even the United fans would not argue with that last comment from Campbell.