Siegrist saves United’s skin
Keeper and Clark to the rescue as shootout leaves Ayr deflated
COMFORTABLE and confident would be among the last words usually conjured to describe a manager’s emotions approaching a penalty shoot-out.
Yet despite a torrid 120 minutes against Ayr, that’s how Dundee United head coach Tam Courts felt.
Benjamin Siegrist is one of the few goalkeepers who could have that affect on a boss.
There has been much tactical tweaking, tinkering and, in the case of top striker Lawrence Shankland’s departure, transferring since Courts took over at Tannadice.
There’s nothing ground-breaking about Siegrist saving United’s skin. This was another rescue mission to add to his excellent club record.
Siegrist made a string of superb saves in the second half. Then he stepped up to be special again amid all the spot-kick dramas to play out at the home end. Siegrist denied Patrick Reading to his right then Jonathan Afolabi to his left with superb stops to leave Ayr stranded on three scored, and present Nicky Clark with the chance to send United into the last eight.
Just like he did in normal time, Clark was deadly from 12 yards and spared sinning striker Marc McNulty’s blushes.
‘That’s the most comfortable and confident I’ve been in a penalty shoot-out in my managerial career,’ said Courts. ‘Benji enjoys the centre stage and he was our match-winner in the end. It was a really tough match so I was pleased the players were able to find the solutions.’
In truth, that was only possible thanks to a soft late penalty award from Nick Walsh that gifted Clark the equaliser and resulted in a red card for Jack Baird.
English non-league journeyman Tomi Adeloye, who had given Ayr a deserved lead, was sacrificed in the reshuffle. It made the hosts weaker as they tried to see out extra-time.
Along with strike partner Mark McKenzie, Adeloye had imposed an uncomfortable afternoon on Charlie Mulgrew and Ryan Edwards.
Ayr boss David Hopkin stated he was going after the visitors with two strikers. The pair worked in tandem to create chances for each other.
Ayr were at their strongest at the outset of the second period. The Adeloye-McKenzie combination pinned United back and paved the way for Michael Hewitt to set up a first-time James Maxwell strike.
Siegrist forced that effort over then saw Andy Murdoch’s 20-yard drive flash just wide.
United were creaking and thanks to the perseverance of Adeloye they cracked. McKenzie slid the ball through a static United defence. Adeloye’s first effort was blocked by the outrushing Siegrist and, as last week’s hero Jamie Robson bumped into his keeper, the ball landed kindly for the big striker.
Adeloye tucked home from six yards and Mulgrew’s claims of a push were ignored by Walsh.
Ayr were relentless as they recognised United were rattled. Siegrist’s fingertips denied Patrick Reading from 30 yards.
Adeloye spun Mulgrew and found his penalty box target, only for Siegrist to push McKenzie’s first-time hit over the bar. There looked no way out of their own half for United. Ayr should have capitalised on their dominance and finished off the Premiership side.
With 10 minutes to go, the contest was transformed. Jack Baird, already booked, was penalised for his part in a wrestling match with Edwards at the back post.
A spot-kick and a sending-off was a dubious double punishment. The personnel disadvantage and mental knock teamed up to deflate Ayr.
Substitute McNulty should have won it for United — either in the first minute of stoppage-time or early in extra-time.
Mulgrew’s floated delivery to the back post sat up perfectly for a powerful header. Sharpness was sorely absent as McNulty mistimed his jump and nodded weakly over.
It was the same outcome when a cunning set-piece schemed by Mulgrew and Pawlett teed up McNulty on the deck from six yards.
Shankland’s transfer to Beerschot means McNulty, on a second season-long loan from Reading, will be looked upon as the chief source of goals. On that evidence — and blazing United’s first penalty attempt into the stand — there’s rust to be shaken off before he can have that impact.
‘It’ll take Marc a few weeks but we know what he’s capable of giving us,’ said Courts. ‘He looked lively, though he’s still probably searching for the ball from the shoot-out.’
Mulgrew, Peter Pawlett and Jamie Robson scored United’s other kicks before Clark confirmed a quarter-final place for United.