“Greedy” Dundee boss Tony Docherty felt his side could have grabbed all three points late on in an enthralling derby at Tannadice.
However, he was delighted with the mentality of his team in coming from behind at half-time to grab a hard-fought point in a breathless Premiership encounter.
The final score was 2-2 after Luke McCowan’s second half penalty levelled matters as the Dark Blues dominated much of the second period.
The first half was United’s, though, and they deserved their 2-1 lead thanks to goals from Kristijan Trapanovski and Miller Thomson.
Thomson’s strike came after Seb Palmer-Houlden had made it 1-1 with three goals inside a helter-skelter first 23 minutes.
‘Greedy’
Docherty, though, was pleased to see his side respond to an under-par first half. Even if he wanted a little bit more.
“I’m greedy. I wanted the win,” he said.
“We were the team in the ascendency at the end.
“I had a feeling we were going to nick it. I think we had a couple of great chances towards the end.
“Curtis Main in front of goal, and the one from Simon Murray as well.
“When the dust settles, I thought Dundee United in the first half had obviously watched us.
“They’d tried to negate our strengths and I thought they well with did that. I think their shape was good to stop us.
“I was a wee bit disappointed, I thought our players could have been a bit more clinical in terms of using the ball in certain areas.
“The character of the squad to come back from one-nil down and two-one down speaks volumes of what I’ve got in there.
“The change of shape and the contribution of the substitutes could have resulted in us winning it. That’s why I’m a bit disappointed.
“I had no doubt when the penalty came about.
“Luke McCowan works on it all week, a calm head and I was confident he’d finish.
“Luke is a good character and we have good characters in that dressing-room. That’s why we don’t lose a game when we were probably not at our best away from home.”
3 goals in 10 minutes
The atmosphere was turned up to 11 when Dundee United skipper Ross Docherty brought out the Championship trophy and the flag was raised.
But it was the Tangerines who handled the first half better with their wingers causing the Dundee defence real problems.
Thomson was the catalyst before Jort van der Sande laid the opening goal on a plate for Trapanovski after a fine United move.
Smoke bombs were thrown onto the pitch in celebration by home fans but extra time before the restart allowed Dundee to settle and they were level again five minutes after losing the opening goal.
McCowan and Simon Murray combined before the former’s cross was blocked into the path of the striker.
His effort was palmed out by Jack Walton straight to Palmer-Houlden who knocked in his fourth of the season.
But just five minutes later United were back in front as Vicko Sevelj played a super low cross through the Dundee six-yard box and Thomson was unmarked at the back post to finish.
The Tangerines were on top and should have gone 3-1 up when Trapanovski ran through on goal from inside his own half.
His dinked finish, though, was knocked off the line by Lyall Cameron.
That moment kept his side in it and Docherty was delighted by the response by the youngster, even if he needs to work on his positioning.
“I don’t know why he was in that position so there is a double-edge to that,” Docherty added.
“He shouldn’t be in that position but my god what a reaction.
“He’s just a young boy desperate to make up for an error.
“What a brilliant effort – it’s as good as a goal that.”
Chances to win it
That kept his side in it at 2-1 down before Murray was felled in the area by a despairing Ross Graham challenge.
The linesman flagged for offside but, after a long wait, VAR intervened and referee David Dickinson pointed to the spot.
McCowan stepped up and dinked it down the middle to make it 2-2.
And in the final moments there were chances for both sides to win it – Curtis Main turned a Murray cross over the bar from six yards before United new boy Richard Odada headed over the last touch of a pulsating Dundee derby.
“When we changed shape, I thought we were by far the better team,” Docherty added.
“I thought we should have gone on to get that final chance.
“It was a great game of football. It was a great advert for the game.
“We’ll work on getting that formula to turn draws into wins, but I’m really pleased with the fitness levels and the mentality to not lose this game and come back twice.”
Conversation