Heart-to-heart for Shanks as County given a beating

DUNDEE UNITED 2 Shankland (63), Edwards (76) Micky Mellon saw Lawrence Shankland rekindle his killer touch but revealed it took a half-time heart-to-heart to remind last season’s 29-goal talisman what he does best.

The striker’s 63rd-minute finish was cool as you like and paved the way for a crucial win for United in Dingwall, breaking a run of eight games without a win.

It was just a fifth of the season for Shankland but it turned the game in the Tangerines’ favour before Ryan Edwards headed home a corner for the crucial second.

In the first half, the United front man had looked like he was wrestling with demons as he beat himself up about his play.

But Mellon, admitting the win in the Highlands was “massive”, said: “Shanks had chances in the first half. I said to him at half-time what does a good player do, Lawrence?

“He doesn’t get disappointed, he moves on and believes at some stage he will get there because he is a good player.

“He knew he shouldn’t dwell on the earlier chances and these are lessons the boys are learning.

“They are coming out of the Championship and people forget that. When the learning opportunities come then we have to learn from it and that was a big step forward for us.”

Mellon insists even through the eight-match winless run his eye was always on the long-term prize.

He added: “I won’t change what I believe my job is here and that’s to keep moving forward and developing my team into Premiership players and that is what I will continue to do.”

For County, it was a reminder of the hard work to be done as they were left four points above bottomplaced Hamilton, who have three games in hand ahead of today’s clash with Rangers.

United took the game to County in the first 20 minutes.

Despite this, the hosts had the first clear sight of goal with Jermaine Hylton, after seven minutes, given far too much time to steady and shoot from outside the penalty area. Benjamin Siegrist got two strong hands onto the attempt to push it away.

A minute later, a glaring error by on-loan Celtic kid Leo Hjelde might easily have cost County a goal.

His air swipe had Shankland racing through, but home keeper Ross Laidlaw managed to close down the striker who dragged the ball too far past him for a goal kick.

Laidlaw was also out sharply to block at Shankland’s feet after 19 minutes.

Tony Andreu threatened for County after 33 minutes with a curling low attempt from 25 yards before watching it spin wide.

Shankland cut a frustrated figure with his touch letting him down at times in a couple of good positions.

In a fast and furious start to the second half, County were warming to the task with Harry Paton’s determined running ending with Billy Mckay, to the left of the box, driving low into the arms of Benjamin Siegrist after 55 minutes.

But three minutes later United swept forward at pace on the counter attack with Jeando Fuchs feeding Liam Smith out wide right.

Smith angled a low ball towards the penalty spot and Shankland, cutting across his back-tracking markers, took one touch and then calmly slotted low past Laidlaw from 12 yards.

Home manager Hughes reacted with a triple substitution, with Michael Gardyne, Oli Shaw and Charlie Lakin replacing Paton, Hylton and Mckay.

But United grabbed a vital second after 76 minutes.

From Peter Pawlett’s corner on the right, Ryan Edwards wriggled free and turned a solid header past Laidlaw from eight yards.