Dundee United manager Peter Houston hailed his side for battling their way to Scottish Communities League Cup victory against previously unbeaten Queen of the South.
Johnny Russell scored the only goal in the 28th minute but United withstood some sustained second-half pressure to reach the quarter-finals.
The Second Division leaders had knocked Hibernian out in the second round and ended Rangers’ Ramsdens Cup run last week and Houston was pleased to avoid a shock.
Houston said: “First half we played some good stuff and created a few chances. We didn’t do as well in the second half but that is always to be expected Queens have got to push men forward to try to get the goal.
“But I’m really pleased because, with the pedigree of the teams that Queens have beaten this season, coming down here is no mean task.”
Houston admitted the performance hadn’t been the best, but getting through to the next round was what was important.
He said: “Sometimes it is not about playing pretty, it is about grinding out a result and that’s what we have done.”
The omens were certainly in place for an upset with Queens unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions this season, a run that has included taking the scalps of Hibs and Rangers in the cups.
The Tangerines, in contrast, went into the game having failed to win any of their last four league games, including the 3-0 defeat by Hearts at the weekend.
Houston had accused his players of letting themselves be bullied by John McGlynn’s side, and looked to correct that by drafting Jon Daly into his attack and bringing back Richie Ryan at the expense of Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Dow.
United started in determined fashion and Brian McLean forced Queens keeper Lee Robinson into an early save with a crisp shot from 20 yards.
With 13 minutes on the clock Gavin Gunning had to make a critical intervention to cut out a dangerous Willie Gibson cross, with Gavin Reilly lurking for what would have been a simple tap-in.See Wednesday’s Courier for an exclusive in-depth interview marking 10 years of the Thompson family era at TannadiceThe next 15 minutes was a scrappy affair and it was difficult to see where a goal would come from.
However, the deadlock was broken in the 28th minute when Michael Gardyne found the unmarked Russell. He saw his first shot parried by Robinson, but hammered home the rebound.
Shortly after, Daly went close with a curling 18-yard shot that flew just wide of Robinson’s left-hand post.
Queens came close to equalising just before the break when Gibson flighted a free-kick in from the left. Nicky Clark rose highest to direct a header towards the United goal with Cierzniak having to produce a superb save at full stretch to tip the ball over.
The home side came out after the break in determined mood and had United pinned back but couldn’t make the breakthrough their play deserved.
They had another great chance in the 71st minute when sub Paul Burns raced from the halfway line before playing in Clark, but his effort on the angle was turned away by United’s Polish keeper.
The Tangerines were riding their luck and relying on a lot of last-ditch defending to protect their lead, with Gunning and Sean Dillon repeatedly laying their bodies on the line. However, they were helpless in the 80th minute when an unmarked Clark shot wide from 12 yards.
Shortly before the final whistle Russell had a chance to score a second as he broke down the right, but Robinson did enough to frustrate the striker and the chance went a-begging.