Another fine ”Messi” performance on Saturday had Dundee United fans in raptures.
Meanwhile, Dunfermline’s former United midfielder Mark Kerr admitted that the Pars simply had to score the opening goal if they were to take anything from the game.
He said: ”We came here set up hoping to nick something.
”We had been working on it the last couple of days.
”But with United getting that second half goal so early on, it was difficult.
”The game opened up and they showed they are a good team and clinical up front.
”I think we really needed to score first. We had a couple of wee chances in the first half but the final ball wasn’t there.
”To be honest, we didn’t really threaten their goal too much and it was a difficult afternoon.
”United are in superb form but it still would have been great to have nicked something from the game.”
Kerr was previously involved in a relegation battle when he was at United and he revealed what he feels the Pars need if they are to avoid the drop.
He said: ”It takes hard work but you need a bit of quality as well.
”The first half today we worked away well but when we got into certain areas, we maybe lacked that final ball into the box to cause them problems.
”I believe we have that quality but it is all about playing under pressure.
”The boys have definitely got it but we just need to be the better team on the day and take our chances.
”No-one is panicking yet. We have one more game before the split and that is one we have to try and take something from.”
Last weekend at Easter Road, the Tangerines’ travelling support hailed electric wing wizard Gary Mackay-Steven with a chorus of ”Are you Messi in disguise?”.
Those chants rang out again at Tannadice as the 21-year-old capped another virtuoso performance by setting up the home side’s second goal with a sublime piece of pace and skill.
There looked to be little danger to the hard-working Pars defence with Mackay-Steven in possession on the touchline but he ghosted past Andy Dowie and Gary Mason before skinning Kevin Rutkiewicz in a race to the byline.
He then cut the ball back for the late arriving Scott Robertson to gleefully fire home past the exposed Dunfermline keeper Chris Smith.
It was yet another moment of magic to add to the Thurso-born player’s ever-expanding bag of tricks, however Mackay-Steven was quick to play down any comparison between himself and Barcelona’s little Argentinian genius.
He said: ”It was a tough game and it took us until the second half to really get going.
”But we knew it was always going to be difficult because Dunfermline are fighting for their lives.
”So to win the match 3-0 was a great result in the end.”
He added: ”I heard the fans chanting and I’m a bit embarrassed because you see what Messi does every week.
”He is in a league of his own the best player in the world and possibly ever.
”I like watching Messi because the things he does with the ball are amazing.”‘I have always had belief in my ability’Mackay-Steven said: ”Obviously it’s nice to hear the fans saying that but it has given the lads in the dressing-room plenty of ammunition.
”They give me a lot of stick. They’ve been calling me Lionel every day.
”And some of them are even saying that in the Nou Camp they will be chanting ‘GMS’ soon.
”But it’s all good fun and I wouldn’t want to name names because they’re all as bad as each other.@
Mackay-Steven admits he has to pinch himself when he considers that just last season, he was playing part-time football in division two with Airdrie.
He said: ”It has been an unbelievable year.
”Twelve months on, I am in the SPL and playing for Dundee United, so it has all happened pretty quickly. To be honest, I have to pinch myself at times.
”People have started to recognise me in the street and everyone has been really great with me.”
He added: ”When I left Liverpool, I never thought it was the end. I always knew when I got fit I’d get back to the levels I thought I should be at.
”I have always had belief in my ability and I’m just glad to get a chance to show it now.”
Mackay-Steven and the rest of the United side had little opportunity to display what they are capable of in the first half on Saturday against a Dunfermline side set out with damage limitation in mind.
In truth, the opening 45 was a dire slog for the fans, bereft of excitement or clear-cut chances.
However, the breakthrough came just four minutes just after the restart.Praise for skipper DalyA Robbie Neilson long throw wasn’t dealt with in the Dunfermline box and United skipper Jon Daly reacted first with a spectacular scissors-kick volley from 14 yards that flew into the back of the net.
With United holding just a slender one-goal advantage, the Pars always had hope they could nick something, but Robertson’s counter on 80 minutes extinguished that belief.
Shortly after, Daly hit his 20th goal of the season to put the icing on the cake when he was the beneficiary of a Johnny Russell set-up to sweep the ball home for an easy finish.
Mackay-Steven may have been the recipient of the crowd’s ringing endorsements but he himself was keen to praise the contribution of his skipper.
He said: ”Jon is having an amazing season and I think he’s really underrated.
”He has 20 goals, has been banging them in every week and deserves a lot more credit than he gets.
”Jon is a great captain. He has a big influence on the younger lads and everyone looks up to him.
”He’s great to play with. If you put the ball into the box, then you know that either Jon or Johnny Russell will be there looking to score.”
Saturday’s win took United to within five points of third-placed Motherwell and a possible Champions League spot but Mackay-Steven insists everyone in the Tannadice dressing-room is simply focusing on the next match up in Aberdeen.
He said: ”We are not looking further than the next game.
”European football is a massive incentive but we have Aberdeen next and we’ve not beaten them this year so it’s going to be difficult.”