JACK Ross was justifiably aggrieved after he watched St Mirren’s unbeaten record come crashing to an end in the most controversial of circumstances. Amid their desperate effort to avoid relegation, the Paisley side couldn’t quite believe the manner in which they were undone by promotion-chasing Dundee United who triumphed courtesy of Blair Spittal’s final-minute winner.
It was the Tannadice visitors’ first defeat in eight Ladbrokes Championship games. They had climbed off the bottom of the table thanks to their recent revival but slipped back into the play-off spot after this defeat.
United striker Thomas Mikkelsen’s seventh-minute opener irked Ross most. The Dane clearly went in high on St Mirren centre-back Gary MacKenzie, but was allowed to carry on and finish with a stunning left-foot volley to leave the visiting camp livid.
Saints recovered through MacKenzie’s equaliser as half-time approached, then Tony Andreu put the hosts back in front after
66 minutes. St Mirren substitute Josh Todd to look like he had grabbed his side a share of the spoils with his 86th-minute leveller, until Spittal broke the hearts of Ross’s men in the final minute. Manager Ross, whose side face Raith Rovers at home next weekend ahead of their final-day trip to take on champions Hibs, said: “You don’t always get what you deserve in football – this is a classic example of that. Dundee United’s first goal was a mistake by the referee. That’s just the reality of it. You have to be fair about it, so I watched it back again. I think the officials were the only people in the entire stadium who thought it wasn’t a free-kick.
“The way it happened, it prob-ably helped Mikkelsen with the finish. He relaxed, expecting the free-kick, then suddenly decided just to have a smash at it.
“It was just a really poor decision. It wasn’t the defining moment of the game because it didn’t finish 1-0. But, at the same time, we went on to lose the game by one goal. So you can make an argument to say that it did have a big bearing on the outcome.”
On-loan Odense forward Mikkelsen had caught MacKenzie above the waist, but referee Craig Charleston saw nothing untoward and Mikkelsen proceeded to lash a thunderous left-foot volley past Billy O’Brien from 12 yards.
St Mirren levelled after 39 minutes. Jamie Robson, United’s teenage defender, was booked after he chopped down Lewis Morgan to leave the visitors with a set-piece in a menacing position.
Stephen Mallan, known for his dead-ball expertise, whipped over an inviting free-kick which was perfect for MacKenzie, who rose unchallenged to direct a powerful downward header into the bottom corner of the net.
But the Taysiders regained the lead in 67 minutes. Stephen McGinn was judged to have played a short pass-back to O’Brien, and from the resultant free-kick, Andreu lashed home an unstoppable shot from Willo Flood’s assist. Any thoughts that Ross’s side would crumble were banished when, after 86 minutes, substitute Todd equalised in spectacular style, firing into the far corner after making space for himself.
There was more drama to follow right on full-time when Spittal struck the winner with a low shot past O’Brien after Mikkelsen had set him up.
United manager Ray McKinnon whose side booked their place in the promotion play-off last weekend, said: “We showed a lot of character after conceding two equalisers. It was a fantastic attitude and won the game. Hopefully this is a good omen for the last two games.”
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