Have to say I was 50/50 heading up as regards how this was going to pan out. Sure we'd had a great bounce on the back of Robbie Neilson's appointment, but if I'm being honest the results we had achieved pre yesterday were really what we would all expect of a Dundee United side, admittedly not having been achieved under Shambles. Yesterday was going to prove a much stiffer test and I would have taken a draw pre game.
The match itself actually turned out exactly as I thought it would, in so much that Dross County had plenty of the ball and were hammer throwing their way left right and centre, led by the hammer thrower in chief himself, Ross 'My Legs Are Bandier Than Jim Leighton's' Draper.
BUT, the team stood up to and more than matched their effort, endeavour and physicality. In many ways they actually seemed to relish the challenge. And as we know in this division, if you match the opposition's effort first and foremost then your extra wee bit of quality should shine through. As it did with the great finish by Watson for the only goal.
Off the park, that has to be one of the best supports I've had the pleasure to sit in with, particularly down the right side of the stand where the main 'action' was.
. From first whistle to last, the singing just, never, ever stopped and the reaction of the team at the end obviously indicated how very much appreciated it was by the side and how it clearly helped them over the line. RN referenced it strongly in his post match thoughts.
Moving forward as RN said, we have to be 'all in this together' - Club, Team, Support. For the first time, in what feels like a long, long time we have actually beaten one of our main rivals, away from home, at an important part of the season. Further, yet another clean sheet garnered, which again moving forward will have a psychological effect on opposition, knowing from the first whistle that should they go behind against us, then it is going to be bloody difficult to get back into the game. Clean sheets is what will ultimately win this League.
Yes, I have had the pleasure to watch much, much better quality sides than this current Dundee United team, but if I'm being honest, I have rarely seen a side with such an absolute determination to get a result that that team displayed yesterday. I don't think County had one single chance in that second half.
Credit to RN. Credit to the Team. And credit to the support. We all worked together to get that yesterday - and we are going to need to KEEP doing it one game at a time until this bloody nightmare is finally over. But, it is starting to feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And it's not a train coming the other way..............
Finally, further credit to the team managing to get a result a.e.t. as well. Where the actual phuck did that idiot in the middle manage to find FIF**** minutes in total injury time?