United in play-offs despite another bad trip

THE dying embers of the campaign have not changed Dundee United’s fortunes on the road, with just three wins in their last 11 on their travels, form which has blighted all season their aspirations of returning to the top table of Scottish football.

Yesterday, Csaba Laszlo’s outfit looked every inch a Championship side and, despite securing a place in the play-offs, they look incapable of stringing a series of wins together to enable them to get back into the Premiership.

United boss Laszlo said: ‘We didn’t deserve to win and conceded two very easy goals. This is the sixth week in a row playing two games a week and everyone looked a bit tired.

‘We had good chances in the second half, but the most positive thing is we are in the play-offs.’

The Doonhamers took the lead in nine minutes when Dom Thomas fired the ball to the back post, Lyndon Dykes shot across goal deflecting into the net off United captain Willo Flood at the near post. It was the first goal United had conceded in four games.

Queens might have been two up in 19 minutes when Thomas was the provider for Stephen Dobbie.

His first effort from 12 yards was blocked but he got a second opportunity, which forced goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet into a terrific save down to his right.

United looked a pale shadow of their illustrious past when they went two down in 31 minutes. The outstanding Thomas was again the instigator when he linked superbly with Dobbie, who set up Joe Thomson to crack in a deflected shot from 18 yards past the helpless Mehmet, who was left rooted to the spot.

United were toothless in attack and limited to efforts from long range, the best coming one minute from the interval from on-loan Celtic player Anthony Ralston, who was just off target.

Queens put the game out of sight in 77 minutes when substitute Connor Murray scored a wonder goal, lobbing Mehmet from an angle with his first touch.

Queens boss Gary Naysmith said: ‘It was our best home performance of the season. They rightly got a standing ovation.

‘Apart from St Mirren, we can live with every team in this league. There is a lot of frustration that we’ve missed out on the play-offs.’