Managers post Dundee United

Link to audio of both managers

A hoarse manager Allan Johnston praised his players after holding out for a goalless draw in the first play off match against Dundee United, he said:-

“I thought the boys gave everything tonight especially when we had eleven players on the pitch. It was a really good performance, we created chances and we were unlucky not to score.

“Obviously the sending off changes the game as well. It was never a sending off. I have seen it again on the video. We are going to appeal it, hopefully the referee has a look at it as well and realises it is a poor decision.”

Asked if he knew why referee Bobby Madden had shown the 55th minute red card to Lee Ashcroft, AJ said:-

“I think it was for a goalscoring opportunity. I don’t know how it was a goalscoring opportunity to be fair, Lee Ashcroft got his body in the way and Scott McDonald has fallen down. The referee has been conned a bit and it is a decision that has cost us dear.

“We will be appealing that and I just hope a bit of common sense prevails, they have a look at it and realise that it is a mistake.

“The boys kept going to the end. They frustrated United and were unlucky not to catch them on the counterattack a couple of times. We rode our luck a couple of times as well in the second half when we were down to ten men.

“But the boys are confident going into the next game. We know United is a hard place to go but we are going to have to be at our very best. We are more than capable of going there and getting a result.

“We just have to make sure that we go there and put in another really good performance. You can see struggle to score goals against us, that was them with an extra man for long periods of the game. We still looked threatening so we are looking forward to the next one.

“We picked up a couple of injuries and it doesn’t help that they are all in same position. We will just have to see how they recover over the next couple of days. It is a test of the squad when you lose players in the same position.

“A draw was probably a fair result in the end because they had the extra man for a long period of the game. I thought that we were the better team in the first half. We had better chances before the sending off and then they had a couple of second half chances but the boys gave everything and defended really well.”

The tie is still level and Allan feels that they travel to Dundee with a ‘massive opportunity ‘.

“I think the pressure is on United, especially up there with their fans. I am sure that they would not be happy with the result tonight. We have to make sure that we start well. I’m sure that we will have a big backing again. You could see tonight the fans get right behind the players again and I’m sure that they will put in another great effort on Friday.”

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