THE Championship fixture computer quietly spat out at a real 90s throwback when it handed Dundee United a last-day trip to Cappielow to take on Morton. Perhaps few suspected back then, though, that it would be a play-off eliminator of sorts.

Supporters of both clubs, and many others besides, will still recall the breathless 2-2 draw the two sides played out at the tail 'o' the bank on May 4, 1996. A crowd in excess of 12,000 thronged the old ground, with thousands more locked out, for a match which pitted second in the table against third, both of whom were potential title winners, at least until Dunfermline got over the line with victory against Airdrie.

This was Billy Kirkwood's Dundee United side, featuring such as Robbie Winters, Owen Coyle, Steven Pressley, and a young Christian Dailly, who had tumbled out of the top flight a year before. And they were pitted against the best Morton side in recent memory – at least until this season's.

Allan McGraw's side had only been promoted from the old Second Division the season before but blessed with flying Finnish internationals Janne Lindberg (who tellingly missed the game) and Marko Rajamaki, they were a force to be reckoned with. Dramatis personae included current United manager Ray McKinnon, one of the Tannadice side's substitutes that day, Craig MacPherson – then a teenage Morton midfielder, these days their assistant manager – not to mention his team-mates Davie Wylie, the club's goalkeeping coach, and striker Warren Hawke, who is now the Cappielow side's chief executive.

Today United face a Morton side who can finish no better than fourth in what could be the first of three games within a week but it is still the closest the Greenock side have come to breaking into the big time ever since. "We came up just short," recalled Hawke. "My biggest memory is not from the game, it is actually from looking back at the clips on YouTube, because you can still see it to this day. I think it was Dundee United's second goal and it was stated that I fouled someone on the halfway line, but you look at it and it was practically GBH against me! It was a free-kick on the half way line and they went on and scored from it. So when you think about, it is a case of 'what if'. It was actually an appalling refereeing decision."

The referee in question was Hugh Dallas, and the goalscorer in question was Winters. This was him restoring United's lead after a Craig Brewster own goal – with Hawke in close attendance – had equalised a towering early header from Brian Welsh. A late, second Morton equaliser, from the pony-tailed Rajamaki, set up a grandstand finish, but United held on to secure the play-off place. It turned out that their heroics were just getting started though, as a last-gasp header from Brian Welsh and then a Coyle winner saw them get the better of Partick Thistle when the play-offs came round to book their top-flight return.

"I am a winner, so I was hugely disappointed afterwards," recalled Hawke. "You can look at the whole season and analyse the whole thing but ultimately if we won we would have been in that position. But look, it was a fantastic occasion. A bumper crowd, Dundee United travelled well too. In fact I can't remember a bigger crowd at Cappielow since that day."

Whether it is United or Falkirk up first again on Tuesday night, Hawke hopes for a happier ending this time around – whilst recognising the play-off equation for a promotion-chasing team hasn't got any easier since. Both Morton and United are in fairly abysmal form, though the Cappielow side have had the luxury of resting a few players to replenish their tanks for the climax of the campaign. Jim Duffy, nominated this week for the PFA Scotland manager of the year award, is a wily campaigner who knows how to motivate a team.

"As far as Jim and his management of the squad, and where we are at just now, we have been delighted with the season," said Hawke. "It is about showing progression and last year at this stage we had 43 points and finished fifth. We were 19 points off fourth, now we look at the progression, and we are eight points better off and in fourth place. It could be 11 by the end and that is a huge achievement for Jim and the club. Everyone has got to take great credit for that.

"As for the play-offs, it is well known that it is very, very difficult for the third- and fourth-placed clubs to go up," he added. "Including Saturday you are going to have seven games in 21 days and six of those are cup finals. We as a club will be supporting Jim as much as possible with player recovery or whatever he requires within the games. He has been giving the boys a chance to replenish their batteries. All I can say on behalf of the club that we will be up for the fight. If we can go up, what an unbelievable achievement that will be. In that case, we would be ready for the top tier. We would do everything we can to make sure we are ready to enjoy every minute of it."