Three points, three goals and a clean sheet. Yes, there were definitely reasons to be cheerful from a Dundee United perspective after Saturday’s comfortable win over Ian McCall’s Ayr side.
The Tangerines took the game by the scruff of the neck from the kick-off with the players having a point or two to prove after what had happened the week previously in Dumbarton.
Ayr had no answer to the pace and movement shown by United and they were lucky to go in at half-time only two goals in arrears.
Ray McKinnon’s men may have taken their foot off the gas in the second 45 with Ayr coming more into the game but even with the promptings of “panto villain”, former Dundee favourite Gary Harkins, you never felt they would make a shock comeback.
The cracking third United goal scored by Willo Flood finally put the game to bed and secured a vital three points for the home side.
I know it is still early days but it was a must-win game for the Tangerines who simply could not afford to let the gap between themselves and the teams at the top of the division grow any larger.
As welcome as the victory was, McKinnon will know that there are sterner tests awaiting his side – it already looks like it will be a long season for pointless Ayr in the Championship.
That first big examination comes next week with the visit of the manager’s former side, table-topping Raith Rovers, to Tannadice – it should be a cracker.
