Tired United lose, but sneak into play-offs
qos 3 Dykes (9), Thomson (31), Murray (77)
dundee united 0
Dundee United manager Csaba Laszlo was relieved to see his side qualify for the play-offs due to the result at Dunfermline, but was certainly not happy at their display against Queen of the South.
He said: “We were sleeping and lost two very easy goals in the first half.
I don’t think we deserved to win”
But he stressed: “We have played two games every week for the past six weeks and at the end the players were a little bit tired. But the most positive thing is that we are in the play-offs.”
United went into the game knowing that a point at that stage would be sufficient to see them into the play-offs and revenge was also on their minds for their 3-2 defeat by the Dumfries side at Tannadice a month earlier.
But they certainly didn’t get off to the start they wanted as first their defence allowed Lyndon Dykes to set up Stephen Dobbie in front of goal with the striker just a yard too far from the ball. Keeper Deniz Mehmet had little trouble in gathering the effort.
But that was the early pattern and United were caught from the wing again in nine minutes when Dykes was allowed to get on the end of a cross from Dom Thomas to turn the ball into the net from the tightest of angles.
United probed away at the Dumfries defence but their own defenders seemed shaky under the sudden advances down the wing and it cost them another goal just past the half hour.
A mix-up in front of goal saw Joe
Thomson get in a half-hit effort, but it rolled through the bunched defenders and into the net.
Billy King, though, was unlucky not to pull one back just before the break with a low grounder which keeper Leighton had to be at full stretch with a dive across his line.
The game was a little flat on the restart
with both sides seeming to toil under the blazing sun, but Queens did forge out an opening when Dykes was put through on goal only, to be defied by keeper Mehmet who saved at almost point-blank range.
Queens did have a few anxious moments midway through the half as United turned up the heat on Leighton’s goal, and at this stage it was all United.
But in a breakaway with just 13 minutes to go Queens added to their score when a move upfield saw substitute Connor Murray in the clear to volley home from 25 yards to really flatten the Tannadice side.
Queen of the South boss Gary Naysmith was delighted at the performance of his side: “It is probably one of the best games they have played here all season.
“And one of the best things about it was the tightness shown by the defence after taking the blame for losing so many goals earlier in the season.”
It was just by coincidence that Queens scored their opening goal on the nine-minute mark as the crowd were applauding their No. 9 striker Derek Lyle, who was on the bench on what is probably his final appearance at the Dumfries ground.
He took the field as a substitute for the final 10 minutes and was cheered from the pitch.