Double is not much trouble for United

League may be priority, but cup run keeps up momentum, says Smith

Dundee United’s Cammy Smith admits that while the league is undoubtedly the club’s number one priority this season, the players are equally determined to keep their Scottish Cup run going to build vital momentum.

Manager Robbie Neilson’s revamped team battled through to the quarterfinals against St Mirren in Paisley despite having to survive the last half-hour of the game with only 10 men after Calum Butcher was shown a straight red card.

And Smith, who was making a quickfire return visit to the Premiership club he left last month to sign up for his second spell at Tannadice, insists United can continue to fight on two fronts.

The 23-year-old said: “If you play football, you want to win the game no matter what.

“If you asked us right now, ‘Win the Scottish Cup or the Championship?’, we would say the Championship because it is the most important thing.

“But why not prioritise both? The manager stressed to us how important it was to win to keep momentum going and we have managed to do that.

“I have enjoyed the last few games and working under a manager who seems to like me and I have a good relationship with. Day to day it is a good place to be and it is a big club. I have settled in really quickly and it has probably helped that there are a lot of new boys coming in at the same time.

“The manager has done his research and has brought in boys who have played games at Scottish clubs and have won stuff at Scottish clubs.

“There are leaders and loud voices in that changing-room and there is a good mixture. That added to the victories means it has been good.

“The manager has stressed that we also need to gel off the pitch so we are working on that as well.”

Smith was asked if the victory was all the sweeter because he was playing against his former club but he replied: “I don’t think so, to be honest. I just wanted to come and play and win. That’s what we have managed to do.

“I think Dundee United is a Premiership club but the only way we are going to be thought of as that is by winning important football matches and we have done that.

“But we are back on Monday preparing for the next game. We just have to keep turning up on Saturdays and we are doing that so far. We have a good, strong squad.”

United were quickly into their stride against St Mirren and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 15th minute.

Home keeper Vaclav Hladky made two saves in quick succession to deny Nicky Clark and Pavol Safranko but when the ball was fired back into the box by Peter Pawlett, Safranko was on hand once more to divert the strike into the back of the net.

Shortly after, Safranko had another chance as he raced through on goal but the keeper did enough to deny him.

As the half edged to a conclusion, it seemed United would only have the one goal to show for their overall dominance but in the 45th minute, they doubled their advantage when Clark sent a sublime lobbed effort with the outside of his foot over Hladky and into the back of the net.

St Mirren, no doubt with a few choice words ringing in their ears from their manager, made a better fist of things at the start of the second half.

However, Paul McGinn overstepped the mark in the 58th minute when he caught Smith flush in the face with an elbow and was incredibly lucky only to receive a yellow card from referee Willie Collum.

However, there was a dismissal just four minutes later. United’s Butcher went in high on St Mirren’s Ryan Flynn with Mr Collum this time reaching into his pocket before flashing a straight red card at the midfielder.

The Buddies almost capitalised on their one-man advantage straight away when Mihai Popescu cracked a shot off the underside of the United bar before the ball was cleared for a corner.

The home side did pull one back in the 77th minute when a shot from Duckens Nazon was deflected past United keeper Benjamin Siegrist. However, United held on to secure their place in the next round.

There are leaders and loud voices in the changing room. CAMMY SMITH