Dundee United extended their unbeaten run to five games as they edged out Dumbarton at Tannadice.
After a tight first half when both teams had chances, the Tangerines took the points thanks to two second half goals.
United should have been ahead in only the seventh minute when Willo Flood fed Nick van der Velden on the right and he squared the ball to Scott Fraser in the middle.
From 12 yards he could have burst the net, but saw his shot touched on to the post by Alan Martin before the ‘keeper scrambled the ball away.
At the other end it took a world class stop from Cammy Bell to deny Garry Fleming when he shot from close range.
Bell was the hero again as he turned away a Robert Thomson header from a Josh Todd cross.
It was becoming a game of great saves and when Fraser fired in a free kick for United, Martin did well to touch it over his bar.
And the goalie did well again when he beat away a van der Velden volley from a Frank van der Struijk cross.
Seven minutes into the second half United were ahead when a Fraser corner was header into his own net by Mark Docherty.
Number two came in the 66th minute when another Fraser corner caused problems and when the ball wasn’t cleared William Edjenguele rifled the loose ball home from seven yards.
Dumbarton had provided stuffy resistance and grabbed a lifeline when Thomson forced the ball home from close range in the 73rd minute.
United, though, dug in to secure another valuable three points.
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