It was all about mindset at Tannadice after Dundee United could only draw 1-1 with Partick Thistle.
You could take your pick – positive or negative.
Leading the upbeat brigade was Tangerines boss Robbie Neilson, whose new year glass had gone from being extremely empty at Alloa to half-full on Saturday.
There was then the other camp, myself included, who felt downbeat and frustrated by this 1-1 draw.
It was hard to see it as anything other than a missed opportunity, considering both leaders Ross County and Ayr United had lost their matches.
The brutal truth is that one win from their last six games is anything but promotion-winning form and the Tangerines need to pick up the pace rather rapidly.
Perhaps more concerning that the actual result was the poor standard of play produced by United in the first half.
It was feeble stuff from a side that should have been fired up after their manager ripped them to shreds for losing to the Wasps a week earlier.
Things did improve a fair bit after the break but the outcome was still just a single point from back-to-back fixtures against teams fighting to stay in the Championship rather than chasing the title.
Neilson was as frustrated as anyone that they couldn’t find a winner but, in contrast to his post-match blast at Recreation Park, he chose to accentuate the positive this time.
He said: “I was disappointed we didn’t take three points but we have nicked a point on Ayr and Ross County so we are a little bit closer.
“In the first half, we found it a little bit difficult to get control of the game.
“In the second half we changed it a wee bit and managed to get a foothold.
“On the balance of chances, we should have won the game.
“I want to be positive because it is another point closer.
“We have come out of it in a slightly better position than we were at the start of the game.
“We have to look at it that way.”
The Jags had won only one of their last 13 fixtures but they didn’t appear to be second-best here, well for an hour at least.
The first chance fell to Thistle after just three minutes, with Miles Storey sent clear and United goalie Benjamin Siegrist having to make the save.
The visitors had made the better start it was no shock when they grabbed the lead on nine minutes.
Craig Slater took a corner from the left after Blair Spittal’s freekick had been deflected. The marking from the home team was non-existent and Kris Doolan had a free header that he sent into the net.
It was all Partick at this stage and it wasn’t until the 24th minute that United had a decent shot on goal, with Paul McMullan charging the ball down then firing in an angled drive that was saved.
It was a relief when the half-time whistle gave Neilson the chance to shake things up.
That came in the shape of new signing Aidan Nesbitt, who took the place of Fraser Aird. It was asking a lot of one player to turn such a poor performance around but Nesbitt gave it a go.
McMullan attempted another shot from 25 yards for United on 55 minutes but it was an easy take for Partick goalie Conor Hazard.
The Tangerines got a lifeline just after the hour when they were awarded a penalty.
The foul was by defender Sean McGinty on new boy Nesbitt and it fell to captain Fyvie to send the spotkick to Hazard’s left to make it 1-1 on 61 minutes.
Pavol Safranko had a good chance to give the Tangerines the lead when he had space and time to shoot but his strike was charged down by Hazard.
United had the ball in the net on 74 minutes when Safranko headed home but referee Bobby Madden awarded a foul to Thistle for a foul on keeper Hazard.
United boss Neilson said: “I think if anyone goes near the keeper it’s a freekick.
“I don’t think the keeper jumped but that’s just football nowadays.
“Keepers are molly-coddled and you can’t get near them.
“I suppose if it was down the other end I would be saying it was a freekick as well.”
With 81 minutes on the clock a nice move by the home side was almost rewarded with a winner but McMullan’s low strike was saved again by Hazard.
Great hold-up play and neat pass by Safranko then set up Nesbitt but he pulled his shot. The new arrival had another opportunity as the clock ticked down but he didn’t get enough on that strike either.
United huffed and puffed thereafter – Safranko came close in the dying seconds – but the Jags held on for a point that wasn’t enough to stop them falling to the foot of the table thanks to Falkirk’s victory over Ayr.
Thistle’s Steven Saunders said: “I think we dominated the first half but I think they dominated the second half, to be fair.
“If we had been offered a point before the game then we would have taken it all day long but after the first half performance you want all three points.
“We just need a bit of confidence in front of goal and I think that showed again in the first half.
“We had a few clear-cut chances and there were a few good saves from their keeper.
“Sometimes when you are up at the top of the league they go in but when you are down the bottom the goalie saves them.”
