United stay top as they put on-the-road losing run behind them with win at Caley
no-show from the Hearts team that Levein assembled.
“It was poor – very poor. We had a good game plan but we did not do it well enough,” said the player, forced off with a strain early in the second half with the tie gone at 2-0. “We never laid a glove on Rangers. We didn’t show up today and it was really poor,reallydisappointing. It’s hurting me.
“People need to be brave. They need to want the ball and at the minute I’m not Dundee United put a hat-trick of away-day defeats behind them by beating hosts Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-0 to stay top spot of the Championship.
The Tannadice side had lost on the road to Ayr United, Alloa and Queen of the South seeing that from a lot of my teammates. For me, it’s a real problem at the minute. People need to stand up and be counted… and grow a set. I still believe we are a good set of players but when confidence is low you need people to step up and be brave but there are not enough people doing that.
“Flying into tackles should be a given. Fifty-fifty challenges should be a given. For me, that’s not bravery. Bravery but handed out a message to the Highlanders who had been looking to move to within a point of the summit.
Shaun Rooney stabbed a Paul Mcmullan cross into his own net on 20 minutes to put United ahead. Caley almost levelled 20 minutes from time when Tom Walsh picked out James Keatings but the striker’s header went over the crossbar. United made the most of that reprieve, with Nicky Clark grabbing their second two minutes later. Lawrence Shankland then sent Mark Ridgers the wrong way when he converted a penalty after Liam Smith had been fouled to complete the win.
Table-toppingmanagerrobbie Neilson said: “We have had a terrific week where we have won three games.
“Questions would have been asked if we had won twice at home and not won away, but we went out and showed what we are capable of.”
Inverness manager John Robertson said: “We could have been at 1-1 but found ourselves two down instead.”
Ian Mccall’s return to Ayr United as the manager of Partick Thistle was an unhappy one as the Jags went down 4-1.
Craig Moore swept in the opener on 11 minutes and Michael Moffat quickly headed in a second with Moore shooting into the net after the break before Alan Forrest curled home to make it 4-0 on 52 minutes.
Joe Cardle pulled a goal back late on with Mccall saying: “We are bottom and in a relegation fight.”
Arbroath sit just outside of the top four after a 2-1 success over Alloa at Gayfield. Bobby Linn got the opener on 16 minutes and 11 minutes later Luke Donnelly blasted in Linn’s cutback. Alan Trouten brought Alloa into things before halftime but there was to be no more scoring.
Dunfermline made it six points from two home in four days without the loss of a goal as Queen of the South were seen off 2-0. Ryan Dow hitthe opener just before the hour mark with Kevin Nisbet lashing in the second eight minutes from the end.