Late winner shows United mettle

Simon Murray believes Dundee United have shown the bottle required to get through the play-offs.

The Tangerines looked to have blown their chance of pipping Falkirk to second spot in the Championship when they were pegged back to 2-2 by St Mirren with just four minutes to go at Tannadice last Saturday.

However, they scored a dramatic winner through Blair Spittal in the 90th minute to stay just a point behind the Bairns with two games remaining.

Whoever wins the now twohorse race to be runners-up will skip the quarter-final stage of the Premiership play-offs and will instead sit back and wait to face the winners of the third v fourth two-legged tie in the semi-final.

Murray, who will be available for Saturday’s home clash with Dumbarton before being suspended for the Morton game at Cappielow, feels United have shown they have the mettle needed for what are sure to be a few fraught weeks.

The frontman said: “It was good going into the dressing room at the end of the game because scoring a last-minute goal gives you a massive lift.

“We have been criticised for dropping the heads when we have lost goals a few times this season. But as soon as St Mirren scored near the end on Saturday we dug in, lifted ourselves and got the late winner.”

Meanwhile, Dutch midfielder Nick van der Velden has left the club for Bali United.