We must not think tie is over — Spitts

FIRST-LEG goal hero Blair Spittal knows Dundee United’s home record makes them hot favourites to complete play-off quarter-final success over Morton at Tannadice tomorrow night.

But the attacker stresses if the Tangerines think their 2-1 first-leg success in Greenock on Tuesday means it’s a case of job done, they will come unstuck.

Spittal got the winner at Cappielow as United turned in a commanding second-half display to bounce back from going a goal down.

Delighted as he was with the result, he knows a tough 90 minutes could be in order for the second game.

That’s why he’ll ignore stats that show only Celtic are a tougher nut to crack on their own patch than Ray McKinnon’s team.

“There is no way we are thinking that’s us through. We’ve got a great home record but, the minute we start thinking the tie is over, that’s when we let Morton back in.

“We can’t become complacent. Morton will come out and have a go at us and we have to be aware of that and be ready for it.

“If we are and we’re on it, that can play into our hands. We can use the space they need to attack us and get at them.”

And, if United were on fire as they roared back in that second period on Tuesday, Spittal is determined to use the memory of a poor first 45 minutes to remind everyone they cannot afford to take things easy tomorrow.

“We know what happened in the first half and that can’t happen again,” he added.

“It was terrible. We got a bit of a kick up the backside from the gaffer at half-time and rightly so because we weren’t putting enough pressure on them.

“I thought in the second half we did that very well. We were closing them down and playing much more of the game in their half.

“As well as the goals, we created a few chances and played a lot of good football.