United preserve home run after Shankland show
Dundee Utd 1 MortonShankland 90 1 Orsi 17
DUNDEE UNITED boss Robbie Neilson hailed the club’s fans for backing the team to the bitter end after Lawrence Shankland’s late goal maintained their unbeaten home record in the Championship.
The runaway league leaders were frustrated by a well-organised Morton side, who led through Kalvin Orsi’s first-half header.
But top-scorer Shankland proved United’s saviour again as he headed home his 26th goal of the season in the 90th minute to extend the Tannadice club’s unbeaten run to 14 matches in all competitions.
With Inverness Caley Thistle losing at Ayr United, Neilson’s side extended their lead at the top of the division to 18 points.
‘It’s another point on the board,’ said the United boss, whose team go to Hibernian on Tuesday night for their Scottish Cup fourth-round replay. ‘We’re now 18 points ahead of Inverness. We have to take the positives.
‘We’ve managed to maintain our home record, which is important to us. Also, I felt the fans showed the togetherness to support the team. It’s easy for fans to be disappointed and leave before the end, but they know the players will continue to work hard until the last minute.
‘We gave them something back and continued to try to push to score a winning goal.’
Hailing Shankland, Neilson added: ‘I was pleased for him because he worked hard and didn’t have a lot of quality put in to him. But he got another goal, which he likes.’
United had the ball in the net after 25 seconds when Ian Harkes’ shot was parried by Morton goalkeeper Danny Rogers and Osman Sow converted the loose ball, but he was denied by an offside flag.
The hosts dominated possession in the early stages but they fell behind on 17 minutes. A brilliant cross from the right by Nicky Cadden found Orsi at the back post to head into the net.
Neilson’s men continued to see most of the ball and, on the half-hour mark, a dinked cross towards the goal found Sow, who seemed to have a tap-in but Jack Baird cleared the danger. The striker then saw a free-kick sail just over the bar before a Shankland shot from 18 yards flew off target.
Morton made it to half-time with their lead intact as United fans moaned and groaned at misplaced passes from their team.
David Hopkin’s men suffered a blow shortly after half-time when
Orsi left the pitch injured. But, for all United’s pressing, it was the visitors who nearly doubled their lead in spectacular fashion on 55 minutes as Luca Colville’s dipping shot from 25 yards flew just over.
Shankland saw another shot rise over the bar, then Mark Connolly’s header sailed past the far post.
United nearly levelled with 12 minutes remaining when Dillon Powers’ free-kick from the right found Jamie Robson but the leftback couldn’t keep his headed effort on target.
Morton’s backline was breached eventually in the 90th minute when Shankland headed home at the back post from Liam Smith’s cross and, incredibly, United almost clinched victory in the third minute of stoppage-time but substitute Paul McMullan’s shot was parried by visiting keeper Rogers.
Morton boss Hopkin said: ‘I’m delighted with our performance but we knew United would get a chance at some stage and, unfortunately for us, it fell to the wrong person on the pitch.’