Away form puts United on right road
● Mellon says team expects to compete as they win again on their travels
Dundee United manager Micky Mellon believes there is an expectation on his team to travel to grounds and pick up wins despite having only just returned to the Premiership.
United, who returned to the top flight this season after playing in the Championship for four years, maintained their 100 per cent away record with a 2-1 victory over Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday.
Having picked up seven points out of 12, Mellon says the players are meeting the club’s requirements of being a force in the division this term.
“We expect to come up here and make a good fist of things,” he said. “We expect to come to clubs in the Premiership and be involved as that is the size of the football club.
“That is the asks of the fanbase and the history. But we won’t get carried away, we will get back to work and work hard again because we have to.”
United found themselves behind before the half-hour mark when their former defender Coll Donaldson connected with a powerful low drive from 20 yards to fire past Benjamin Siegrist to give the Staggies the lead.
But the visitors drew level when Peter Pawlett scored from close range five minutes before the interval and substitute Nicky Clark completed the turnaround when he met a Cammy Smith cross and fired
MICKY MELLON “We expect to come to clubs in the Premiership and be involved as that is the size of the club” into the bottom-left corner 11 minutes from time.
Twenty-year-old full-back Kieran Freeman made his debut for United due to players missing and Mellon has no fears about giving youth a chance.
“The youth in the team is fantastic. The effort, endeavour and talent they showed was terrific and I’m pleased we’re pleased to dip into a fantastic academy,” he said.
“We gave people first starts in the Scottish Premiership and they just got on with it along with the experienced boys who know the standards of the football club.”
Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell was disappointed with his team’s lack of response in the second half.
“Our overall approach to the game after they equalised after 40 minutes was disappointing,” he said. “We got away from fundamentals and energy we had to match runners and win balls and defend the area.
“That went to pot for us and that is the disappointing factor. It has been a good start for us, but we need to take criticism from what has happened.”