NO HERO’S ROLE FOR RIPLEY
But it’s a dream start for United new boy Murray
CONNOR RIPLEY c o ul d see t he headlines before his eyes. The chance to become that rarest of heroes, the goalscoring goalkeeper, beckoned him forward as the seconds ticked down inside Fir Park.
But there is an obvious risk to balance any such shot at glory. And Ripley, chasing an injurytime equaliser from a Motherwell corner-kick, ended up on the wrong side of the equation.
Said set- piece was cleared, leaving a frantic 90-yard dash backwards as Dundee United broke f orward at pace. But Ripley’s lung-bursting efforts proved entirely in vain.
He just about made it back to his goalmouth in time to be beaten by a fine finish from substitute Simon Murray, who swept home his first goal for United to seal their triumph.
‘It was the last kick of the game and I felt I had nothing to lose,’ reflected the 22-year-old loanee from Middlesbrough. ‘ We could have grabbed a point if the ball had fallen.
‘ I looked at the gaffer ( Ian Baraclough) and he gave me the nod. He said: “Go on then”. So I ran up, but it didn’t work out.
‘To be honest, I don’t know how I managed to get back down the park. I somehow found an extra yard and got back, but all credit to the lad because he finished really well.
‘As I was going up for the corner, I had it in my head: “Ripley scores the equaliser.” In the end, though, it was more: “Ripley looks like a numpty.”’
Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, but it was all a bit harsh both on Motherwell as a team — given that luckless Louis Laing’s own goal after 83 minutes was the other concession — and Ripley as an individual.
His first-half save to deny a thunderous hit f rom United midfielder Scott Fraser was the stand- out element within a clutch of very respectable stops.
The problem was that opposite number Luis Zwick was equally impressive for United, notably when thwarting Marvin Johnson one- on- one with the scoreline still blank.
‘Every loss is hard to take but, at the end of the day, someone has to win and someone has to lose,’ added Ripley.
‘The saves I made are irrelevant because we lost the game. But I don’t think we deserved to lose like that. It was a smash-andgrab job.’
Ripley’s frustration was understandable, but the assessment is unlikely to bother United. They could depart Fir Park rightly satisfied with the teamwork and discipline that helped deliver their first three points of the season.
It was achieved by a team flecked with the next generation of youngsters coming through the Tannadice nursery.
With perfect timing ahead of tomorrow night’s Dundee derby, here was evidence they can stand up for themselves when it matters.
Fraser made his first start for the club following a loan spell with Airdrie l ast term and impressed in central midfield alongside the even more youthful John Souttar.
Fraser, 20, is confident there is enough emerging talent within Jackie McNamara’s squad to overcome the loss of Nadir Ciftci, Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven to Celtic in the past six months.
‘There has been a bit much surrounding Nads, Stu and Gaz leaving,’ insisted Fraser. ‘They are fantastic players but we have enough here to replace them.
‘You look at me, Charlie Telfer and Soapy (Souttar) in midfield. Charlie and I have just turned 20 and Soapy is about to turn 19.
‘Coll Donaldson at the back is 20. Blair Spittal up front is 19.
‘We train with each other every day and work hard. I think that if we can get some games together, then we will only get better.
‘I didn’t realise it at the time, but the three subs who came on were all involved in the second goal and that shows you again we are a young squad.
‘Aidan Connolly and Robbie Muirhead are 19. Simon Murray, who is 23, has come f r om Arbroath and wants to take his chance. He adds something different to what we have. Even when Nads was here, he was more into his feet.
‘Simon has the pace to go in behind and you could see the composure he showed to put the ball home. It was a great start for him.’
Fraser’s parents and sister were at Fir Park to support him on Saturday, with the family now hoping he could play a part in beating Dundee at Tannadice.
‘ My dad i s actually a Celtic fan, but my mum, uncle and auntie are all mad United fans,’ added Fraser. ‘My uncle is a seasonticket holder.
‘I grew up watching United with my pals, so I know what the derby means. I’ve played in the Under-20 version where it means a lot. Stevie Campbell, the coach, always drummed that into us.
‘ It’s a massive game on Tuesday night. Hopefully, we can get three points and I could get a start. But I’ll need to recover now because that is the first 90 minutes I have played this season.
‘ Every t i me t here was a substitution made, I expected it to be my number.
‘But the gaffer said I was looking fit and strong, so he was happy to keep me on.’