St Johnstone 1 Dundee United 5: Paul Dixon delivers again as assist king gets three out of five for creativity

Richard Winton

Assistant Sports Editor

Monday 13 February 2012

WHICH player has directly assisted the most Clydesdale Bank Premier League goals this season?

St Johnstone twice put through their own goal

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Richard Winton

An attacking midfielder, perhaps? A trequartista type? Maybe a winger? Wrong, wrong and wrong again. The player whose contributions have created the highest number of converted chances this campaign is a full-back.

With a glorious hat trick of devilish deliveries against St Johnstone on Saturday, Paul Dixon moved ahead of Rangers' Steven Davis at the summit of that particular league table, his 11 assists comprising almost a third of Dundee United's league goals this term. Consider another handful in assorted cup contests and a picture emerges of a player enjoying a season of such accomplishment that Peter Houston, his manager, was moved to describe him as the best left-back in the country.

While his status as part of one of the division's more porous defences could be deployed to offer a stout rebuttal of that assertion, Dixon's attacking abilities cannot be queried. A doughty and tireless competitor down the left, the 25-year-old might lack the raw pace to burst beyond opponents or the trickery to dupe a marker, but his technique is such that he can whip crosses around players and into the path of Jon Daly and Johnny Russell; both took advantage of that with goals on Saturday. "It's a great feeling knowing those crosses are coming to an end product, but I know if I put the ball into the box those two will be there," said Dixon, shrugging off any praise in his typically unfussy manner. "They are probably among the best headers of a ball in the country and having guys like that makes my job easier because we are on the same wavelength." Such telepathy will be disturbed on Saturday, a stoppage-time booking causing Dixon to incur a one-game suspension for the visit of St Mirren. His absence will also offer United an insight into next season, given that the defender has privately made it clear to the club he has no intention of extending a contract that expires in the summer. With the likes of Millwall already credited with an interest, and clubs on the continent also keeping tabs on him, Dixon is unlikely to be short of suitors, should he maintain the performances that have helped revive a frustrating campaign for Houston's side.Inconsistency, of both form and selection, plagued a recast and inexperienced United team in the opening months of the season, but this victory has moved them to within six points of fourth place, with a game in hand. With visits from both St Mirren and Kilmarnock to come in the next week or so, and a Scottish Cup quarter-final to look forward to, there is a sense that the club's traditional spring spurt could lead to a successful term. "We seem to have the knack of peaking at the right time of the season and hopefully we're doing it again," Dixon said. "Getting third is possible if we can put a run of games together."St Johnstone, however, appear to be going in the other direction. Steve Lomas' side were abject on Saturday, the horrible individual errors which caused such a hefty defeat also masking a lack of creativity and spark. Although still fifth in the division, a campaign that promised so much at Christmas could effectively be over as early as tomorrow evening, when Hearts visit in a Scottish Cup replay. "It has not been an impressive season yet," insisted defender Steven Anderson. "You can't say it has until the summer and we've actually achieved something. If we're in a cup final and in the top six then it has, but we've done nothing yet."

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St Johnstone 1 Dundee United 5: Paul Dixon delivers again as assist king gets three out of five for creativity

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