Dundee United moved to the summit of the Championship on goal difference ahead of Raith Rovers after claiming a 2-0 victory over Airdrieonians.

The triumph was sealed courtesy of fine strikes by Mathew Cudjoe — a third goal in four league matches — and Kai Fotheringham.

United also hit the post three times through Louis Moult (twice) and Kevin Holt despite  being far from their best against a capable, technically sound Diamonds outfit.

Courier Sport was there to analyse the action.

Best defensive start since 1982/83

United’s solid start to the season has been built from the back, conceding just once in four Championship outings.

Declan Gallagher was again imperious on Saturday, with one goal-line intervention to deny Calum Gallagher particularly crucial.

Jack Walton is a calming presence between the sticks and makes big saves when required, while Kevin Holt is proving effective in both boxes. Allied with a tireless work ethic through the team, Jim Goodwin’s side are a tough nut to crack.

And that is borne out by the stats.

One must go back to the 1982/83 campaign — when Jim McLean’s side were ultimately crowned Premier Division champions — for the last time United conceded one or fewer goals from their first four league games.

On that occasion, the Terrors started the season with four successive clean sheets, shutting out Aberdeen, Rangers, Hibernian and St Mirren.

United can — and must — improve in possession and will seek to put on a better attacking spectacle for supporters in future, but they have the perfect platform to eke out narrow victories; vital in this division.

United ditch the press to find another way to win

Goodwin’s side have sought to be aggressive and proactive in the majority of their games this season; especially evident in their victories over Arbroath and Ayr United, where they hurried, harried and forced errors from their hosts.

On Saturday, their strategy was very different and, while a more measured approach caused a few murmurs of frustration as Airdrie knocked the ball about nicely, it paid dividends with three points.

United kept their shape, remained compact and allowed Airdrie to have relatively passive possession for periods in the second half.

Having scored in 37 consecutive matches, the danger of chasing shadows and allowing the Diamonds to play through the lines was stark; exactly what visiting boss Rhys McCabe would have wanted.

That was underlined when Murray Aiken burst through the heart of the engine room — the only time the United midfield lost its shape — and fed Liam McStravick, who forced a fine save from Walton.

Other than McStravick’s shot, and Calum Gallagher’s low effort that was thwarted by Declan Gallagher, the visitors rarely cut through the United. Not champagne football — but a threat nullified and three points on the board.

Kai Fotheringham makes a testing finish look very easy

Dundee United academy graduate Kai Fotheringham notched his first ever goal at Tannadice.

And it was a memorable one.

The Tangerines kid benefitted from a loose touch by onrushing Airdrie goalkeeper Joshua Rae — miles out of his box as Diamonds chased parity — and slotted home a fine finish from close to the half-way line.

🎥 | The goals from today's cinch Championship match against Dundee United. Full DiamondsTV highlights will follow tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Tb1lJE1yIi

— Airdrieonians FC (@AirdrieoniansFC) September 2, 2023

It is a testament to Fotheringham’s technique and composure that he made a challenging first-time finish from distance look very simple. The same must be said for Mathew Cudjoe’s sumptuous opener.

After a couple of impactful cameos against Ayr United and Airdrie — an assist and a goal, respectively — Fotheringham is pushing hard for a start.

Singing section captures Jim Goodwin’s attention

Saturday marked the first attempt to improve upon the atmosphere at Tannadice with the introduction of a singing section at the front of the Eddie Thompson Stand.

Around 80 like-minded supporters have relocated their seats to the area, including a designated drummer and some chants led by a megaphone.

It was noted that ‘we do not expect this to be a roaring success within the first season‘, however it immediately caught the attention of Goodwin, who highlighted its importance during a particularly fraught part of the contest.

He said: “In the middle period of the second half, we could sense the frustration but the guys over there — whoever was banging that drum — turned the atmosphere a wee bit and got the fans singing.”

Given the growing number of SPFL clubs devoting an area to self-styled “Ultras” or singing sections, it will be fascinating to watch the Arabs’ own version evolve.

A nervous Ross Docherty wait but Liam Grimshaw eases pain

United fans could have been forgiven for fearing the worst when captain Ross Docherty was ruled out and, indeed, the hosts lacked the control that his presence in midfield brings.

Docherty was sent for a scan on Friday after suffering a recurrence of the hamstring complaint that also sidelined him against Dunfermline last month.

The result should arrive on Monday morning, with Goodwin desperately hoping that his skipper is not facing a lengthy layoff.

However, Liam Grimshaw should be credited for a combative, energetic and defensively solid showing; going some way to filling that void.

His use of the ball could have been better — the same could be said for a few of his teammates — but Grimshaw can reflect on a decent day at the office.