Soccer

Jim Goodwin will not allow complacency to set in at high-flying Dundee United

The fourth-placed Terrors moved level on points with Rangers thanks to their win over St Mirren.

Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United are level on points with Rangers
Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United are level on points with Rangers (Steve Welsh/PA)

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin insists no-one at Tannadice will be resting on their laurels despite a superb start to the season.

The fourth-placed Terrors moved level on points with Rangers thanks to a 2-0 win over St Mirren at Tannadice.

Kevin Holt netted a 79th-minute penalty and then missed one in added time after St Mirren’s Marcus Fraser was shown a red card.

However, Emmanuel Adegboyega sealed the victory by scoring the second from the resulting corner.

And Goodwin admitted he was delighted to see his side “win ugly”.

The manager said: “Kev slotted the first one in well and then I was pleased we scored the second goal from the corner after the second one was saved.

“Kevin’s record of penalties since he’s been here and since he was at Partick Thistle is great.

“Louis Moult was on and wanted to take it – they all want to take them. He could have been given it but we’re just glad it didn’t cost us.

“We are really pleased with the scoreline, there wasn’t too much in the game and it was scrappy. But sometimes you have to win ugly.

“We have played St Mirren three times and have kept three clean sheets, which is a testament to the players at the back because they put you under a lot of pressure.

“Teams find it very difficult to play against them, not many teams play well against them – and I mean that as a compliment to them.

“So you have to stand up as a defender and they did it heroically.

“It’s a huge three points. We’ve had a very encouraging start to the season but that’s all it is.

“Nobody here is getting complacent, it’s still November and that message is drilled into the players and staff constantly.”

Buddies boss Stephen Robinson insisted Fraser should not have been shown a red after he tangled with Moult for United’s second penalty.

“Sometimes things just don’t go your way and the game changed on the penalty decision,” Robinson said.

“I can’t make a call on it for the first one from the angle I’ve seen.

“For the second one, if we’re sending people off for that, I didn’t think it looked like a penalty.

“If that’s a red card the game is… you make your own mind up.

“I don’t think Dundee United thought it was a penalty either.

“It was saved so it didn’t make us lose the game.

“I can only concern myself with the things we can control.

“We can control our last pass or final decision better, though.

“That’s the only thing I’m worried about and will be working on.”