TONY ANDREU reckons whoever takes a penalty next against Cammy Bell won't stand a chance – because they will be shaking in their boots.

Bell was the hero once more for title-chasing United on Friday night as his second-half penalty save from Hibs forward Martin Boyle helped them move joint top of the Championship with their Edinburgh rivals.

Bell's 52nd-minute stop allowed Andreu to go on and score the winner from the spot at the other end of the field to leave Ray McKinnon's men sitting just behind the league leaders on goal difference.

The former Rangers and Kilmarnock No.1 has now saved seven spot-kicks in all competitions so far this season and team-mate Andreu believes he is bound to scare the living daylights out of the next opponent who faces him from the spot.

Andreu said: “I wasn’t looking at it to be honest. I was just hoping for the best. Again Cammy came up with his magic. I think the next player who steps up to take a penalty against him will be shaking.

“When you know the keeper has saved the last three or four it will definitely be in your mind. I think he has good instincts. That’s what you want from a keeper. He knows where he wants to go and maybe he knows where the penalty-takers want to go.

“Four penalty saves in a row speaks for itself. It's a great record.”

Frenchman Andreu remained ice-cool to net the winner from the spot which sent the United fans in the near sell-out Tannadice crowd into raptures.

The on-loan Norwich City attacker kept his cool to convert a textbook penalty to turn the heat up on the Hibees in the race for the flag.

And the 28-year-old insisted he wasn't wasn't affected in the slightest by the weight of expectation on his shoulders to give his side a well-deserved victory.

Andreu said: “I didn't really feel any actually. I knew where I wanted to put the ball. I don’t really feel any pressure on penalties. It was a crucial time in the game to score, though. It was great to keep it to 1-0 after that and it was an important win. That was my first this season. I think it’s the first for the club. They are all at the other end.

United are high on confidence after stretching their unbeaten run to an impressive 11 games with the crunch festive period fast approaching.

McKinnon's side have the look of genuine title contenders following the club's agony of relegation from the Premiership last season, and Andreu has urged them not to let their sterling work go to waste when they travel to take on Ayr United this weekend.

He said: “Whatever was said before the game, we knew it was a big one. It was very important for us to win a crucial three points. We played well in the first-half and counter-attacked in the second half. It’s important for the rest of the season. But we have to make sure we win next Saturday now.”

McKinnon is aiming to strengthen his squad further when the January Transfer Window opens and Andreu is sure there's still more to come from them as the title races hots up.

He said: “There are players who weren’t involved for this game who will come back and the manager will add to the squad. We can only get better. That can only be a good thing from our point of view.”