Blue Monday at Dens as Terrors take the tumble
DUNDEE UNITED’S season from hell suffered one final slap in the face as city rivals Dundee grabbed a last-gasp 2-1 win to confirm their relegation from t he Ladbrokes Premiership last night.
The Tannadice outfit were hurled through the top-flight trapdoor when Craig Wighton fired a last- gasp winner after Kosta Gadzhalov had cancelled out Edward Ofere’s opener.
It brings an end to the Terrors’ 20-year run in the top-flight and leaves chairman Stephen Thompson facing a financial nightmare with drastic cost cuttings imminent.
Thirty-three years on from seeing United lift their only league crown at their Dens Park patch, the Dundee faithful mercilessly lapped it up as their team dished out a plate of cold revenge.
The home fans came sporting masks featuring the face of beleaguered United boss Mixu Paatelainen while pranksters also tried to sneak in a Tangerine coffin only to be foiled by police.
Paatelainen branded his team “too soft” after their fate was sealed.
The Finn said: “When you analyse our matches and the goals we concede, the set-piece goals, taking responsibility, making sure my man doesn’t do anything, making sure nothing happens in your area, simply we are not disciplined enough, we are not ruthless enough, we are not hard enough. Too soft. Today is a great example. two set-piece goals – that has been the story all the way.”
Paatelainen bemoaned his team’s failure to add to their lead. “I thought we had them,” he said. “But that’s been the story of our time here. We have dominated matches, but if you are not good enough to put the ball in the net, you are not good enough.”