Clark the ace card as United close gap on County
A PENALTY-BOX pest operating at his most menacing and a few cunning psychological statements.
Robbie Neilson was able to produce those valuable ace cards as Dundee United’s effort to trigger some panic in long-time automatic promotion pacesetters Ross County stepped up a gear.
Nicky Clark forced an own goal from the visitors, then plundered an 83rd-minute winner as United recovered from an early deficit to ghost to within five points of the Ladbrokes Championship summit.
Of course, there is much work to be done before a Friday-night showdown in Dingwall on April 5.
United travel to Dunfermline on Tuesday before hosting Queen of the South next Saturday.
But, in the meantime, Neilson can be content to at least create some mischief for County to ponder just in case they prove fragile enough in the title stretch.
‘I’m sure they will have kept an eye on us and they’ll have seen 1-1,’ said Neilson. ‘I do it with them, you watch the results.
‘So the result comes in at 2-1 to us and they had been hoping Alloa would have got something.
‘Psychologically for us, it’s great and puts a bit of pressure on them. Time will tell if they wobble but we can only look after ourselves.
‘We’d like to be in a position to go to Ross County in two weeks with the chance to really turn the screw. But we have big games before that.’
United followed up their 1-0 midweek victory over the top-ofthe-table team by seeing off the division’s bottom club.
And for all that dogged Alloa frustrated the home side for prolonged spells, Clark was the problem that refused to go away.
The striker has now netted six goals in his last 10 Championship games. Four of them have been match-winners.
His excellent, elusive movement kept him onside as he stole in to meet Callum Booth’s low, inswinging delivery to devastate Alloa as the visitors finally gave way seven minutes from time.
Clark’s 12th goal of the season would have come as a huge relief to Benjamin Siegrist.
It was United’s Swiss goalkeeper who helped Alloa into a sixth-minute lead by playing with all the earlygame composure of a Scotland international in the Astana Arena.
There had been heroics from Siegrist before the howler. He batted down a fierce volley from Dario Zanatta, then leapt up smartly to match Alan Trouten’s follow-up header, clawing the ball out from under the crossbar to concede a corner.
The rush of that early excitement must have soared to the keeper’s head because he swiftly lost all sense of calm as Iain Flannigan angled in the flag-kick.
Siegrist came to claim through a cluttered penalty area. But he was AWOL as touches from Trouten and Zanatta dropped the ball into the path of Jordan Kirkpatrick, who stroked home from six yards.
The containment job on the United response featured last-ditch lunges from Alloa’s defenders and a splendid Neil Parry save from Paul Watson’s volley.
But United managed to draw level on 27 minutes. Clark’s header from a Jamie Robson free-kick was inadvertently bundled over the line by Alloa defender Andy Graham.
It wasn’t all backs-to-the-wall tactics from the visitors, however, and Rachid Bouhenna required treatment for a head knock after denying Zanatta a clear header on goal as first-half time expired.
But the key development was Peter Pawlett’s introduction for hamstringinjury victim Cammy Smith just before the break.
Pawlett dragged United further up the park and was at the heart of all the best work that wore down the will of the part-timers.
His craft offered a succession of sweet deliveries, which Alloa’s defensive strength cleared up.
When Paul McMullen tried from the opposite flank, on the right, United did test Parry. But the keeper was equal to Watson’s powerful header with a stunning one-handed save on the line.
However, the best part-time No1 in the country, Parry’s save of the game — and perhaps his season — wasn’t enough to salvage a point for their escape bid.
Jamie Robson and Booth were rewarded for their persistence down the left flank by creating the space to play in Clark for what could prove a precious winner in United’s quest of overhauling County. DUNDEE UTD (4-4-1-1): Siegrist; Watson (Seaman 76), Bouhenna, Reynolds, Booth; McMullen, Butcher, Stanton (Harkes 67), Robson; Smith (Pawlett 43); Clark. Subs (not used): Laidlaw, Fyvie, Nesbitt, M Smith. Booked: Bouhenna, Robson, Seaman. ALLOA (4-1-4-1): Parry; Robertson, Graham, Taggart, Dick; Hetherington (Brown 87); Shields (Hamilton 76), Flannigan, Kirkpatrick, Trouten (Cawley 63); Zanatta. Subs (not used): Peggie, Henry, Karadachki. Booked: Hetherington. Referee: Nick Walsh. Attendance: 4,645.