No one celebrated Paul Dixon’s late equaliser for Dundee United against Kilmarnock on Saturday more than Tangerines’ skipper Jon Daly.
Unbelievably, the Tannadice outfit entered the final minutes of a match in search of a salvation strike, given they’d had enough chances to have won the game twice over.
United’s fast and furious start saw them lay siege to the Killie goal. Indeed, Peter Houston’s side could easily have been three up inside the first five minutes as John Rankin, Gavin Gunning and Jon Daly all tested Killie keeper Cameron Bell.
Stuart Armstrong then hit the inside of the post and on two other occasions, Daly failed to hit the target from good positions.
So it was a real sucker punch when James Dayton hammered home an unbelievable shot from 35 yards into the top corner to put the hosts ahead.
Little wonder Daly was so relieved to see Dixon drive home the equaliser with a blistering left-foot shot from 15 yards as the three minutes of stoppage time started.
”He’s dug me out of a hole,” admitted the visiting skipper.”I’ve had o ne of those days when I have had plenty of chances but they just didn’t go in for me. On another day, I might have scored three or four, but it wasn’t to be, but the important thing is being there when chances crop up.”
Just how exasperating an afternoon it was for the Irish striker became clear with his response to being asked which rankled most.
”Probably them all,” was his reply. ”However, the one when Dicker played it across the face of the goal just before half-time was the most frustrating.
”I’d lost a stud five minutes before and slipped just as the ball came across and tried to throw myself at it and if my stud had still been there, I probably would have scored!
”In the end, Dicker scored a great goal to get us a point but I think we merited more than that.”
On United’s last visit to Rugby Park in January, Garry Kenneth scored a last minute leveller and such occurrences were a feature of Houston’s side last term.
And as this was the second successive week that United have had to come from behind, Daly feels it demonstrates that they have it in their locker again.
”Last week at Inverness, we came from two down to win. We know the game isn’t over until the whistle goes and keep fighting right to the end. Even when we scored there were only a few minutes left but we were still looking for a winner.
”But we should have had the game put to bed by half-time. Their keeper had a few good saves and there were a few bad misses by us, with unfortunately, me being the biggest culprit.
Not that the striker will let it bother him.
”The gaffer said to me afterwards, just keep getting in scoring positions because the time to worry is when you aren’t on the end of them and there’ll be plenty more opportunities with kind of service Gary Mackay-Steven and Paul Dixon provide.”
Just how well United played can be gauged from gaffer Houston’s post match assertion that this was his side’s best performance of the season, though Daly didn’t go quite so far as his boss.
”First half, I would agree. We started brilliantly, creating plenty of chances. Second half, we didn’t play so well but dug in until the end to get what we deserved.”
And with just two defeats in the last eight games, the striker feels that a top six place is well within their capabilities.
”Having only lost to the Old Firm recently we are on a good run. However, the league is so tight, with everyone beating everyone else but I still fancy us to get in the top six.”
With five qualifying for Europe this season, Daly firmly believes a third successive season in Europe is achievable.
”Had we won today, we’d have been within two points of St Johnstone who are fourth. Yet only a few weeks ago, they were eight or nine points ahead of us. So we have clawed back points on them.
”Admittedly Motherwell are quite a bit ahead and whilst it will be difficult to catch them, we are confident that fourth place is a definite possibility.”
While disappointed at losing a late goal in a highly entertaining encounter, Killie boss Kenny Shiels admitted, ”It wouldn’t have been fair on Dundee United to lose.
”Our players were on their knees with 20 minutes to go, having not been able to train on grass for the last four weeks.”
But there can be little doubting that being run ragged by United in the opening half was a major contributory factor to that exhaustion.