Super Swiss Siegrist sees Saints so sorry at not snatching win
St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson reckons his men were denied all three points by an inspired display by United goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist.
The Swiss stopper bailed his team-mates out with two outstanding saves from David Wotherspoon and Murray Davidson which prevented the Perth men from winning back-toback Premiership victories.
The Saints manager said: “Benjamin Siegrist has produced two or three top-class saves and the one from Murray Davidson’s header at the end and David Wotherspoon’s deflected shot are both great stops.
“That’s what he is paid for but he has kept Dundee United in the game and on another day they go in and we would have won the game comfortably.
“We were the better side after the first 10 minutes and we created the best opportunities and dominated the game.
“The pleasing thing for me was how we coped with Dundee United’s front three as they have a lot of experience and goals between them and we limited them to no shots on target.
“I am disappointed for the lads that we did not win the game.
“We are undefeated in four and we also kept a clean sheet so I will accentuate the positives.”
Davidson elected not to include Guy Melamed in his squad after he completed his 14-day quarantine period and he made one change as Ali Mccann dropped to the bench with Craig Bryson replacing him
The Tangerines – chasing their first league win since mid-september – handed a first start to Scotland hitman Marc Mcnulty who formed part of a three-pronged attack alongside Lawrence Shankland and Nicky Clark with Dillon Powers also promoted as Peter Pawlett and Logan Chalmers both missed out.
It was ex-hibs and Reading hitman Mcnulty who curled an effort over the top inside three minutes and six minutes later strike partner Shankland tried his luck with a 30-yard speculative strike after Mark Connolly’s long ball but his aim was wayward.
The hosts almost took the lead two minutes later when Stevie May raced through at an angle and forced Dundee United goalkeeper Siegrist into a low, diving save at his right-hand post.
Jason Kerr flashed a header inches wide of the post following Craig Conway’s corner from the right on 27 minutes and Scott Tanser’s curler fell the wrong side of the upright moments later.
United midfielder Powers picked up the first caution for a blatant barge on Conway just after the half-hour mark before Saint Murray Davidson cracked in a low, 20-yard drive that slid narrowly past.
On 40 minutes Bryson bent an outside of the foot effort just wide as Saints enjoyed their best spell in the match but the deadlock remained unbroken at the interval.
Seven minutes after the restarts the influential Mcnamara fed Wotherspoon who dragged a shot wide of the target as Saints continued to press for the opening goal.
Wotherspoon then unleashed another long-range strike that flew over the top just after the hour mark and the same player was denied by a fine stop by Siegrist who flung himself to his right to keep out the midfielder’s deflected piledriver from 18 yards on 72 minutes.
It was Saints who almost snatched it at the death when Davidson powered in a tremendous goalbound header from 10 yards following a corner and it was magnificently beaten away by the superb Siegrist.