United lift the gloom with easy victory
DUNDEE UNITED put a turbulent week off the field behind them with a comfortable victory in Dumbarton.
The Tannadice club sacked 47-year-old Ray McKinnon on Tuesday after last weekend’s defeat at Inverness Caledonian Thistle left the club fourth in the league, five points off leaders St Mirren.
But despite a return to winning ways yesterday, caretaker boss Laurie Ellis distanced himself from taking the job full-time.
‘It’s a big club and there is a huge amount that goes in to managing it,’ he said.
‘This week has been difficult and as I say there is a huge amount involved. I’m young and I respected the challenge this week.
‘I’ve taken experience from this but whoever comes in it will be a big appointment for our club because we know what we want from this season.’
Despite the defeat to United, Dumbarton boss Stevie Aitken remains strongly linked to the Tannadice position and he admitted he was ‘flattered’ to be in contention.
‘For any manager, when you are linked with jobs, you are flattered,’ he said.
‘It’s all because of how well we’ve done here and my focus is on keeping Dumbarton in this division. It doesn’t distract me and, as a manager, you’ve got to deal with that.
‘Derek McInnes was talking about it as he’s in the same situation and you can’t really stop that.’
An early brace from on-loan Hibernian midfielder Sam Stanton secured the three points before Dumbarton were reduced to ten men midway through the second half.
Stanton superbly curled home the opener with his left foot from the edge of the area in only two minutes before grabbing his second on 14 minutes later after a training-ground corner routine fooled Dumbarton’s back-line.
The second half was a quiet affair, with chances at a premium, but it ignited back in to life when the hosts were contentiously reduced to ten men.
Craig Barr hit the turf in the United box and was shown a second yellow by referee Craig Charleston for simulation just after the hour mark, having been booked ten minutes earlier for a professional foul on Scott Fraser.
After that, there was no way back for Dumbarton.