The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
United stretch run
St Mirren Dundee United
Dundee United made it four Premiership games unbeaten with a battling but uninspiring performance in a goalless draw at St Mirren.
The result means the Tangerines remain fifth in the standings, with Swiss stopper Benjamin Siegrist keeping his third clean sheet in four matches.
It was a game of few clear-cut chances, as the Terrors racked up their third stalemate of the season, but the hosts dominated in horrendous foggy conditions.
United were unchanged from last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Ross County, while it was the hosts’ first match in almost four weeks after a Covid outbreak hit the Buddies’ squad.
Jim Goodwin handed a debut to former Aston Villa kid Jake Doyle-Hayes while former Tangerines’ leftback Brandon Mason also made his Saints bow.
The opening moments in Paisley were scrappy, with neither side able to settle down. However, it was United who showed the most attacking intent in the initial 10 minutes.
The hosts were the first to have a real sight of goal, though, as Ian Harkes fouled Mason on the edge of the United box.
C a m my Ma c P h e r s o n stepped up to take the freekick just outside the D but could only smash his curled effort into the wall.
Miscommunication between goalkeeper Siegrist, Mark Reynolds and Jamie Robson led to the concession of a corner, but the Buddies squandered the opportunity.
St Mirren controlled possession and territory for most of the first half. However, United had the first shot on target on 16 minutes, with a raking Harkes drive from 25 yards forcing a simple save out of Jak Alnwick.
A minute later, Mason picked out Jamie McGrath wide open in the visitors’ box. Reynolds threw himself at the Irishman’s effort, with Robson diverting Richard Tait’s follow-up out for a corner.
A Kristian Dennis header drifted harmlessly wide after good work from Tait on the right wing to pick the forward out.
Ma r c u s Fr a s e r was operating well as an attacking centre-back for the home side as they overloaded the right wing and penned the Tangerines in their own half for large portions of the half.
United came back into the contest on the halfhour mark as Peter Pawlett won a free-kick in a dangerous area on the left.
Nicky Clark swung in a whipped delivery which big defender Ryan Edwards was inches away from getting on the end of.
St Mirren continued to look the most likely to break the deadlock but every cross fired in from the flanks was hitting the first man – much to Goodwin’s frustration.
The Te r r o r s were defending stoically, though, and continued to look a well-drilled unit, with boss Micky Mellon barking out orders from the touchline.
Dennis got on the end of Ma c P h e r s o n’s delivery from the left, flicking a header narrowly wide on 35 minutes as the hosts maintained their pressure.
United continued to be sloppy in possession and were second to almost every ball as the first 45 drew to a close with the Buddies the happier side.
Four minutes into the second half, United thought they’d won a free-kick on the edge of the box but referee David Mu n r o adjudged Clark to have fouled Conor McCarthy.
Moments later Mason angled a fizzing drive over Siegrist’s bar from 30 yards.
As the half wore on, conditions in Pa i s l e y worsened as a thick grey fog enveloped the players,
making visibility difficult.
McGrath was still seeing well, though, as he flashed a dipping effort just wide of Siegrist’s right-hand post.
MacPherson was next to fire towards the United goal, sending a bending effort inches wide.
A double change for the Terrors on 59 minutes saw Dillon Powers and Marc McNulty on for Harkes and Pawlett as Mellon went with three up top.
Lee Erwin entered the fray, replacing Dennis, as the hosts looked to make the most of the former Motherwell and Kilmarnock man’s aerial threat.
Tait fizzed an effort past the post just after the hour mark as St Mirren continued to push for the opener. MacPherson rasped in another minutes later but was brought down in the process.
From the 21-year-old free-kick the could, again, only fire the set-piece into the United wall.
Fraser lashed wide from distance as the hosts piled on pressure in increasingly challenging conditions.
McNulty did well to win a corner for United as the Tangerines had their first meaningful attack of the half. Paul McMullan, on for Luke Bolton, took it but couldn’t pick out a man.
On 76 minutes, DoyleHayes forced a smart stop out of United’s Swiss No 1 as the Terrors continued to struggle to create.
T hree minutes later, though, McMullan made a lovely opening down the right as he streaked into the box and cut back for Clark but the striker saw his effort deflected behind.
Whistler Munro waved away home cries for a penalty with three minutes left as sub Jon Obika went down in the box under the attentions of McMullan and both teams pressed for a bit of late magic.
It never came and both had to make do with a point heading into the international break and Betfred Cup fixtures.