United’s final push
Paul Dixon sees sense of injustice as inspiration. By Kevin Ferrie
Hopefully we can use it. Simon always gives 100% – fingers crossed he pops up with a winner
WITH the future of the club he plays for and has always supported on the line, Paul Dixon’s exasperation with the officials at Thursday night’s Premiership play-off final first leg against Hamilton Accies was understandable.
Dundee United team-mate Sean Dillon, another with a deep emotional investment in the Tannadice club, may have been magnanimous in his unwillingness to be overly critical of referee Steven McLean and, more particularly, his assistant Graham Chambers to whom he turned for help at the key moment in that goalless clash.But Dixon was in much less charitable mood ahead of today’s second leg at New Douglas Park, as he reflected on the dismissal of United striker Simon Murray after two separate yellow cards for diving.
“I was in my left-back position and I knew it was a stonewall penalty,” he said emphatically. “The TV pictures prove it. It’s actually quite scary how both of them [the officials] are so close to it and miss it. He [McLean] started walking towards the penalty spot, so I didn’t know what was going on but, hey-ho, it’s half time, and we need to go again. We need to pick ourselves up and forget about that. It’s gone now.”
It was certainly a strange moment, McLean looked to be in a good position to make the call, initially looking, as Dixon said, as if he was of a mind to give the decision United’s way before hesitating, then asking Chambers for his opinion.
The assistant indicated he felt the judgment should favour Accies defender Scott McMann, at which point McLean had little choice but to mete out the same sanction he had given Murray first time round.
In the greater scheme of things, if Murray was guilty on the previous occasion, albeit there also looked to be some contact then, too, many will feel it is about time the benefit of the doubt should start working against those engaging in what is euphemistically referred to as “simulation”. The penultimate match of the league season, and one with so much at stake would, however, seem a cruel time to start setting new standards.
Had the right decision been made and United been awarded a penalty, they would probably have taken the lead and generated momentum which, particularly when influential Accies pair Dougie Imrie and Massimo Donati subsequently picked up injuries with all three of their substitutes already deployed, might have led to an even greater advantage. Instead, the error means that, for all the glory available to the winners of yesterday’s Scottish Cup final, the most pressurised match of the season’s final weekend is taking place at New Douglas Park this afternoon.
Dixon hopes United can feed off their sense of injustice over the sending-off of Murray, who is available to play his part after an appeal. The defender said: “Hopefully we can use it. Simon will always give 100 per cent, and fingers crossed he pops up with a wee winner.
“We need to go there, be solid and build on what we’ve done. It’s a final toss of the coin if you like, a throw of the dice. It’s the last game of the season and it’s massive.
“We went through a massive game with Falkirk away on a knife edge at 2-2 after the first leg and this is on a knife edge again so hopefully we can get it done again.”
Manager Ray McKinnon noted that his side, who will be backed by a travelling support of nearly 3000, won the away legs of their quarter and semi-final matches, the former being against Morton, to set up their meeting with Accies. “Maybe it is going to repeat itself on Sunday and we will go down and win at Hamilton,” he said.
Amid concerns over United’s financial position, McKinnon acknowledged the importance of United returning to the top flight. He said: “It is massive for the club. I understand that but we can’t let that get in the way.
“We have to focus on how we play and get the best out of the players on Sunday, and make sure they are ready to go.”
Hamilton’s Martin Canning had selection worries, with Darian MacKinnon suspended and injury doubts over Donati (groin) and Imrie (ribs).
“We will just have to assess them,” he said. “We will patch them up the best we can. That is the problem being in the play-off after a long, hard season, you pick up wee niggles and knocks and your squad is thin.”
Canning added: “The second game will be tight. Everything has been tight this season and it will probably go right to the wire.
“We will try to do the same as we did on Thursday, try to create opportunities, but the only difference is we need to take them.”