Dundee United will face Motherwell in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup following a 1-0 victory over St Mirren on Sunday.
Ross Graham scored the only goal of the game in the first period, while Craig Sibbald and Louis Moult were both denied by the woodwork.
Indeed, Graham also struck the bar in bizarre fashion – direct from a long-throw – but that would not have counted as no player touched the ball before it hit the frame and bounced clear.
Nevertheless, United held firm for a stoic, merited triumph.
Courier Sport was at Tannadice to analyse the action.
The Albufeira connection
The friendship of Will Ferry and Graham was established long before they linked up at Tannadice, so it should come as no surprise to see them clicking on the pitch.
Having become mates thanks to mutual pal Kieran Freeman – to the point where they’ve been on holiday in Portugal together – they combined to send United into the last eight.
Ferry’s delivery was perfect for Graham to rise highest at the near post and power a header beyond Ellery Balcombe. His fourth goal for United.
And it was just one of several superb corner-kicks by the Irishman, who looks an even better piece of business with every passing week.
Tying him down to a three-year deal was wise.
For his part, Graham was also an attacking threat from his long throws – a somewhat unexpected attacking weapon for the Tangerines as they, on occasion, channelled the Rory Delap supply line during Stoke’s glory years.
Kevin Holt: the unlikely anchorman
Goodwin said it best.
“Thankfully it paid off. Had it not, I might have been getting lambasted!”
The United boss was discussing his decision to field Kevin Holt in defensive midfield.
It is a position he had never played in the senior game (he did occupy that role in the Queen of the South academy), yet he carried out his duties to the letter.
You can see with Goodwin holds him in such high regard; Holt follows instruction without question and will run through brick walls for his teammates.
Holt made a host of excellent tackles as St Mirren attackers Mikael Mandron and Toyosi Olusanya sought to drop back in search of space. He was wary of Roland Idowu’s bursts forward and won several aerial battles.
While his passing rarely cut through the lines, Holt’s use of the ball was simple and effective.
Allied with his communication (there were no repeats of numerous players going for the same ball which allowed Ross County to level the prior weekend) this was a fine showing.
Vicko Sevelj, Richard Odada and Ross Docherty may just an unlikely rival for that anchorman berth.
Another week, another debutant: Stephenson shines
Just as he did with Emmanual Adegboyega against County, Goodwin had no qualms about chucking Luca Stephenson in for an immediate debut, mere days after arriving on loan from Liverpool.
With Ryan Strain a long-term absentee and Sevelj suspended, his hand was forced somewhat. Regardless, the decision was totally vindicated.
He made a host of blocks as St Mirren sought to whip crosses into the United box, snapped into tackles and, at one point in the first period, won a thundering 50/50 shoulder-barge with Olusanya near the touchline.
Coming off 34 games with Barrow in League Two last term, neither the pace nor the physicality of this contest seemed to surprise or faze Stephenson. He looks well up for the rough-and-tumble of life in Scotland.
Evidently fit as a fiddle, he also provided a constant overlap for David Babunski and Jort van der Sande (alternating on the right wing) and could have scored his maiden senior goal with a little more composure, after meeting a Ferry cross in the first half.
A welcome clean sheet
“We need to stop shooting ourselves in the foot,” noted Goodwin, when asked by the broadcast media on Friday what United must do to turn draws into wins.
The Tangerines haven’t been defensively bad in the opening weeks of the season, but they have rarely pieced together 90 minutes without a costly error.
On Sunday, United were superb at the back and deservedly claimed just a second competitive clean sheet of the campaign (the other being against Stenhousemuir).
Declan Gallagher, Ross Graham and Emmanuel Adegboyega were a solid centre-back trio, making innumerable headed clearances and timely blocks.
Ferry and Stephenson got in the way of enough crosses to ensure it didn’t become The Alamo at any point.
Craig Sibbald produced his best 90 minutes of the season, no doubt partly thanks to Holt’s performance and Babunski tucking in from the right to ensure the midfield wasn’t overrun.
Van der Sande barely had a sniff of goal. But what an almighty shift the Dutchman put in; the definition of leading from the front.
It wasn’t champagne football, but it was a proper gutsy battle. When they were last in the Premiership, United would have wilted in this sort of encounter. That Goodwin’s charges emerged victorious, bodes well.
Cup on the back burner
United have a golden opportunity to get to Hampden.
Make no mistake, Motherwell will provide stern opposition. Like St Mirren, they are another established Premiership opponent with a good manager. And on their own patch.
However, considering the draw could have paired the Terrors with Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Dundee or – given their habit of capitulating to John McGlynn’s Bairns – the ominous prospect of Falkirk, a trip to Fir Park can be considered inviting.
But that analysis is for another day.
Cup concerns will already be on the back burner at United’s St Andrew’s training base this morning. Rightly so, because Saturday’s visit of St Johnstone is huge.
Should they see off Craig Levein’s men, then the Tangerines can reflect on five points from three games upon their return to the top-flight. A healthy return, especially considering they are yet to fall behind in a league match.
Conversely, three or fewer points from the opening three games against the Dee, Ross County and St Johnstone – with fixtures against Hearts and Rangers up afterwards – then it looks altogether less promising.
Quite the Tayside tussle is in store.
