Dundee United require a miracle to salvage their Premiership status following a humbling 3-0 defeat against Kilmarnock.
United shipped two woefully sloppy goals in the first half, allowing Kyle Vassell to bag a brace. Innes Cameron struck on the counter to make the game in the second period.
Allied with Ross County’s stirring 3-3 draw with St Johnstone, United must beat Motherwell on Sunday and hope Killie defeat the Highlanders — with an inconceivable EIGHT-goal swing.
United barely laid a glove on Derek McInnes’ visitors as they sought to salvage their top-flight status, registering one shot on target in the entire 90 minutes, albeit Rory MacLeod did rattle the post late on.
Terrors owner and chairman Mark Ogren, who has sunk in excess of £13 million into the club, watched on from the stands as United’s three-season stay in the Premiership was effectively ended in wretched fashion.
Three managers, unbalanced recruitment and a swathe of diabolical defensive will characterise this dismal season — and furious fans made their feelings known as the full-time whistle blew.
Selection dilemmas
Facing a fraught, do-or-die evening, Goodwin did not shy away from a couple of huge calls.
Jack Newman started between the sticks following yet another Mark Birighitti blunder against Livingston on Saturday; the THIRD time the Australian has been axed this term, by three different managers.
Newman, 21, was making just his second appearances for the Tangerines. His prior outing was as part of the side that succumbed to 4-0 defeat against Ross County. Liam Fox was sacked 48 hours later.
The decision to send Carljohan Eriksson on loan to FC Nordsjælland in January — regardless of his time at United to date, he is an experienced, international back-up — looks stranger by the moment.
It is almost as baffling as the Tangerines’ failure to bolster their attacking pool.
There was, however, good news on that front when Steven Fletcher passed a fitness test on Wednesday morning. With no experienced strikers in deputy, his availability was crucial.
Speaking to BBC Scotland prior to kick-off, Goodwin said: “Fletch hasn’t trained for a number of days, he’s not 100%. He’s probably at 70% — it’s a muscle strain he’s had and it is a gamble.”
He played the full game.
Defensive déjà vu
Newman was beaten with 13 minutes on the clock. Goodwin has previously lamented the regularity with which United “shoot themselves in the foot”. On this occasion, it was Loick Ayina who pointed the shotgun at his boots and pulled the trigger.
The Frenchman rode his luck or displayed fantastic composure — depending on one’s perspective — to turn away from two challenges in his own box. However, he then tried to dribble forward and surrendered possession to Luke Chambers.
Graham attempted to cut out Chambers’ subsequent pass but only succeeded in bundling the ball to Vassell, who slammed past Newman.
Fletcher flashed a passable effort over the cross-bar before Vassell, clearly full of confidence, attempted an audacious effort from the half-way line. Newman did superbly to scramble back and make an acrobatic stop.
Killie doubled their lead on the cusp of half-time amid yet more poor defending.
Ilmari Niskanen played an ill-considered pass to Ayina, allowing Christian Doidge to steal in. He appeared to be felled by Newman but, with referee Alan Muir playing advantage, the waiting Vassell tapped into the gaping net.
The drop looms
Dylan Levitt and Glenn Middleton replaced Ian Harkes and Niskanen at the break. However, it was Armstrong — excellent throughout — who almost extended the visitors’ lead with a ferocious drive that fizzed wide.
With United throwing bodies forward, in hope rather than expectation, Doidge lashed an effort over the bar on the counter-attack.
A speculative Levitt shot, deflected over the bar, was as close as the toothless Tangerines came to mounting a comeback. This was going down with a whimper.
And Cameron put the hosts out of their misery, putting the finishing touches to a slick break involving Armstrong and Rory McKenzie. Several angry Arabs chucked their scarves onto the pitch in the aftermath.
Rory MacLeod struck the post in the dying embers. A moot point by that stage.
Jeered on their “lap of honour”, United must now go to Fir Park in hope of one of the most unlikely turns of events in the history of Scottish football.
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