Dundee United moved back into a play-off spot with their first win at Tannadice in three months.
First-half goals from Paul McMullan and Bilel Mohsni were enough to keep Dumbarton at bay and send the Tangerines up into fourth place, just behind Dunfermline on goal difference and having played two games fewer than the Pars.
You had to go back to the January 2 victory over Brechin City to find the last time three points had been claimed on United’s home turf so they were more than welcome.
McMullan broke the deadlock on the half-hour and Mohsni made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage-time but they could have had more goals while also looking too open at the back at times.
Csaba Laszlo’s men now travel west to face the Sons again on Saturday and another victory there will do their chances of staying in play-off contention the world of good.
It may have been a disappointing finale to the game at Morton on Saturday, losing a last-gasp equaliser, but Laszlo kept the faith with his players by naming an unchanged line-up.
The pitch was rain-soaked and heavy but it survived a 6.15 pm inspection by referee Kevin Clancy and it was game on.
After a tentative opening five minutes, the ball broke to United’s Sam Stanton outside the box and his strike flew wide of the upright.
Just seconds later, McMullan found himself bearing down on goal but curled his right-foot shot inches past keeper Scott Gallacher’s far post.
With 17 minutes on the clock, the visitors almost sneaked in when Callum Gallagher beat the United offside trap. He was in the clear but, thankfully for the Tangerines, goalie Harry Lewis raced out to reach the ball before him.
The same player had another chance three minutes later when he chased another through ball but home defender Mohsni did well to cover.
United’s Scott McDonald had his volley deflected over for a corner on 26 minutes then, up at the other end, Dimitrios Froxylias pulled his shot wide for the Sons.
The Tangerines needed a goal to boost their fragile confidence and it duly arrived on 30 minutes.
McDonald was the architect, threading an excellent pass through to McMullan. The little frontman still had work to do but he gave goalie Gallacher no chance with a low strike.
Three minutes later, Dumbarton looked dangerous when Gallagher found room inside the box but he fired the ball straight at Lewis.
Four minutes before the break, it should have been 2-0 to United.
Captain Willo Flood won possession just inside the Sons’ half and burst upfield. He seemed to have a clear path to goal but decided to play it left to McDonald and the Australian’s floated shot was plucked out of the air by Gallacher.
The away team had another opportunity when David Wilson broke forward but Lewis did well once again to snuff out the danger.
Up at the other end, Billy King’s swerving shot almost bamboozled Gallacher but the Sons goalie got as hand to it.
He was, however, beaten a minute into first-half stoppage-time by a scrappy United goal.
Mohsni was the man to poke the ball into the net at the second attempt after he was picked out by a great cross from McMullan. The big Tunisian international seemed to lose possession but battled away to regain it before shooting home from close range.
Four minutes after the restart Flood, who was having a decent game, found room inside the Dumbarton box and his low ball across the face of goal just needed to be met by a boot. McMullan then tried his luck from 20 yards but Gallacher got down well to save.
The goal efforts kept on coming from the home team and McDonald sent a shot flying over the bar on 55 minutes.
On the hour, Stanton squandered a great chance to make it three when he played a one-two then blasted over with the goal at his mercy.
The Tangerines, who had brought on Scott Fraser for Matty Smith, came close again when King’s deflected cross almost sneaked past goalie Gallacher.
United were on the hunt for another and it almost came on 71 minutes when, after a good, old stramash inside the Dumbarton box, McDonald smashed the ball at Gallacher and the ball spun just past the near post.
A King shot from the edge of the box would have burst the net had Gallacher’s palms not got in the way, then the Dumbarton goalie did well to hold a strike from sub Craig Slater, who had replaced the injured Stanton.
A lovely cutback from King set McMullan up perfectly but, not for the first time, the ball was fired over the Dumbarton bar and that was that.
Attendance: 3,620.
Dundee United: Lewis, Murdoch, Durnan, McMullan, McDonald (Mikkelsen 88), King, Stanton (Slater 72), Flood, Smith (Fraser 58), Ralston, Mohsni. Subs not used: Deniz, Edjenguele, Robson, Gillespie.
Dumbarton: Gallacher, McLaughlin, Dowie, C. Gallagher (Stewart 69), Wilson (G. Gallagher 61), Hutton (Burt 78), Froxylias, Handling, Dick, Stirling, Barr. Subs not used: Ewings, Walsh, Hill, Nisbit.
Referee: Kevin Clancy.
