Stylish Utd Managerless Terrors show top form to seal victory at Dumbarton

PLAYERRATINGS

IT was ever thus. Sack the manager and instantly the team plays the way he’s been striving to get them to.

So it proved as Dundee United hauled themselves right back into the thick of the Championship promotion race with a most comfortable of victories at bogey team Dumbarton on Saturday.

The Tangerines headed for the Sons just days after Ray McKinnon’s departure had been confirmed and, on paper, you could hardly have picked a less appetising fixture for them.

After all, twice last season McKinnon had taken them there and suffered shock defeats. And in five games against the Sons, the now-former gaffer had mustered just a single victory.

If that record against a side any genuine promotion hopefuls should be beating was not the main reason for his services being dispensed with, the shadow of it certainly did him no favours.

This time, though, United got it right against the part-timers and in fine fashion.

A first-half double from Sam Stanton, the first coming after only 74 seconds, secured the three points, but the scoreline did not tell the whole story.

Under the guidance of caretaker boss Laurie Ellis, United turned on the style and, in the end, had they at least doubled their goals tally it would have in no way flattered them.

And, on top of the football produced, they showed a willingness to battle that is so necessary to escape this division and, at times under McKinnon, fans complained they lacked.

But make no mistake about it, the biggest reason for this victory was the football produced.

With fit-again Scott Fraser on from the start and showing why, if he puts his mind to it, he can be a player who can go a long way in the game, as well as others like Stanton, Scott McDonald and Billy King at their attacking best, United were a class above the opposition.

A lot of credit for that had to go to caretaker boss Laurie Ellis. A difficult week for everyone at Tannadice was even harder for him — McKinnon being a close friend as well as the man who gave him his chance on the coaching side of the game.

His mate’s departure had to have hit him hard but Ellis had clearly lived up to his reputation in the game for being a model pro.

He’d lifted the players in the days leading up to the game, got them organised and reminded them of the responsibility they had to their club.

The result was a strong performance throughout that went a long way to lifting the spirits of everyone connected with United.

Not only was it one that showed there is a strength of character in the dressing-room some had doubts about, it sent out a clear message there is indeed enough talent there to achieve the goal of automatic promotion.

And elsewhere it proved a good day, with leaders St Mirren being held by Morton and Dunfermline going down at Inverness.

Of the teams above, only Livingston won. That means a win over the Buddies this weekend, possibly with a new boss, could take United level on points at the top of the table. That’d be a nice start for a new manager.