DUNDEE UNITED survived a late scare and surged into second place in the Premiership last night after Turkish delight Nadir Ciftci lit up the Global Energy Stadium.

DUNDEE UNITED survived a late scare and surged into second place in the Premiership last night after Turkish delight Nadir Ciftci lit up the Global Energy Stadium. The Tannadice powerhouse returned from his ban to claim a fine double and inspire Jackie Mcnamara's men to another impressive victory, built on typically break-neck and incisive counter-attacking play. County did manage late replies from substitutes Yoann Arquin and Darren Maatsen to create unlikely sweat and tremors for the away team in the closing minutes. But the Staggies couldn't muster further joy in three minutes' stoppage time and remain rooted to the bottom of the table after being harshly exposed by the United attack in the first half and early second half spells. United, having survived the scare, leapfrogged Inverness to tuck in behind champions Celtic. The fates have not been making it any easier for Ross County as they grapple for revival under new manager Jim McIntyre. Rocco Quinn and experienced defender Darren Barr, out with a cruciate injury for six months, were joined this week on the casualty list by young centre half Ben Frempah, who broke his ankle in an under 20s match. With Filip Kiss and Graham Carey also short-term crocks last night and Michael Gardyne missing through the terms of his loan deal from United, McIntyre's scope for choice was whittled down. But there was some unenforced re-jigging. The retention of young talent Tony Dingwall in the side for his home debut plus the surprise inclusion fellow youth academy product Steven Ross lent a local flavour. Ross, better recognised as a striker, was earning his first start of the season in a less familiar midfield role. Dundee United boss Jackie McNamara had anticipated a "battle" and chose to relegate another Ross County product, Gary Mackay-Steven, to the visitors' technical area, perhaps seeking more muscular options. Calum Butcher, more habitually a defender, was drafted into the heart of midfield with Charlie Telfer stepping down to the bench. Ciftci also made a timely return, ominously for County as it was to prove, from suspension and Keith Watson dropped out, but was kept in reserve on the substitute's bench with John Rankin, free of injury. United's status as the form side was belied by the initial flow of play. A bright County start brought the first chance after five minutes as striker Jake Jervis swept a pass wide right to Richard Brittain. The County captain fizzed a dangerous ball across the face of goal with no takers. Young Doingwall's foul on Conor Townsend gave United a first sniff but Ciftci's re-taken free-kick bent over the bar from 22 yards. McIntyre has managed to make some shrewd signings in his first few months in charge and there were early positive contributions from the likes of Scot Martin Woods and Jackson Irvine in the middle of the park. The home gameplan was clearly to garry and press United hard and Joe Cardle's forays on the left showed signs of bearing fruit. After 15 minutes, Cardle's ball from the wide area picked out Ross square on goal just inside the penalty area, but somehow the young makeshift midfielder dawdled on his first touch and the moment passed. Just as County seemed to be warming up to pose United serious problems, the hosts were undone on the counter-attack after 21 minutes. A lovely, perfectly-weighted through pass by Chris Erskine found Ciftci controlling and twisting away from Paul Quinn's nick of a tackle into the box before slotting low past the outcoming Mark Brown. United's tails up for a spell and it took a timely outstretched foot from goalkeeper Brown to deny Stuart Armstrong's net-bound snapshot after more away pressure. Nothing was quite coming off for Cardle, County's most threatening and energetic outlet but through no want of trying. Two minutes later, in another counter-attack, he swept a superb diagonal pass cross-field to Brittain in the far right corner of gthe box. The skipper struck first time but the attempt lacked serious venom to trouble keeper Radoslaw Cierzniak. United, though, held constant menace with their movement and pace on the counter-attack, particullarly down both flanks. From Ryan Dow's corner after 40 minutes, Ciftci sensed a second when he struck from Ryan Dow's corner with Brown nowhere near it but Ross knocked the ball off the line to safety. United's ability to strike at lightening pace on the break lefrt County exposed again just three minutes into the second half. The Staggies were up and at the visitors from the re-start but were unable to stem a strong, bursting run from Calum Butcher on the break after 48 minutes. Butcher showed good vision to release Armstrong into space. There had to be questions over County's cover work, though, as the Scotland under 21 cap strode clear through the gap in the middle and then glided past Brown as he raced out, calmly stroking the ball into the empty net. The obvious danger for County, as they committed men forwards in seacrh of a way back, was exposing themselves further to those United raids. So it proved two minutes before the hour. Again, it was a wonderful pass from Butcher in the thick of midfield that created the opening. But Ciftci had work to do as he used his strength to hold off Toshney at the edge of the box and then wheeled aroumd his marker to slot low and confidently in the corner of Brown's net. It looked like game over for McIntyre's men but they fought on with no less grit and intent than that which they started the match with. Still, nothing quite came off with young Dingwall twice t6roubling United, on the first occasion with a strike from the right of the box that Cierzniak parried for a corner and then with another held by the keeper. Where United were clinical, County never quite seemed to have that lethal edge and belief against a solid and well-regimented United defence. Substitutes Liam Boyce and Darren Maatsen varied the threat but when sight of goal beckoned for the hosts Cierzniak tended to have the measure of it. There was a glimmer of hope for the hosts when substitute Yoann Arquin turned and rattled a low shot into the corner of the net for County's 76th minute reply. Moments later, Arquin surged past Cierniak to the right side of the box - and might have gone down when the keeper nicked at his legs - only to be closed down and squeezed out by United's defence. Remarkably, County found themselves within a goal of United as Woods teed up Maatsen for a breathtaking strike in off the crossbar from inside the box. Liam Boyce saw red for County for a late lunge on Paul Paton. But the frantic football wasn't finished and Gary Mackay-Steven drew another save from Brown before the whistle ended a wonderful, frenetic 90 minutes.