Dundee United secure vital Premiership win over fellow strugglers Ross County

Posted Thursday, December 29, 2022 by PA

Dundee United secured a vital 3-0 cinch Premiership victory over fellow strugglers Ross County at Tannadice to lift themselves off the bottom of the table.

The Tangerines took all three points thanks to a Connor Randall own goal, a Charlie Mulgrew header and a Craig Sibbald strike.

The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Owura Edwards was sent off late on.

The result sees United leapfrog the Staggies into 11th place, one point ahead of the Highland side with a game in hand.

United had the first opportunity of the game in the fifth minute when Liam Smith sent a cross in from the right with Ryan Edwards rising high to head just wide of County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw’s far post.

However, the home side took the lead just four minutes later.

Ian Harkes hit a superb crossfield pass to Glenn Middleton on the left and his low cross took a deflection off Keith Watson with his unfortunate fellow defender Randall turning the ball in on the line.

County then spurned a great chance to net an immediate equaliser when Edwards burst straight through on goal, hitting his low shot past United goalkeeper Mark Birighitti but wide of the post.

United came agonisingly close to doubling their advantage, when Mulgrew hit a pinpoint free-kick from the left with Steven Fletcher rising high but his glancing header hit the post.

Shortly after, the Staggies also hit the woodwork courtesy of a Watson header cannoning off a post at a Dhanda corner.

The Tangerines had two quickfire chances just after the restart with Fletcher’s fierce volley blocked by Randall with the veteran striker then having another shot well saved by Laidlaw.

However, it was United who doubled their lead in the 70th minute.

Laidlaw did well to turn a Smith shot wide but Dylan Levitt produced a great delivery from the subsequent corner with Mulgrew bulleting a header past the County stopper.

The visitors thought they had pulled one back through substitute William Akio but – after a VAR check – the goal was ruled out for offside.

County were reduced to 10 men in the 85th minute when Edwards received a second yellow card by referee Chris Graham.

The icing was put on the cake for the hosts in the sixth minute of added time when Sibbald fired a curling shot from the edge of the box into the back of the net.