DUNDEE UNITED recorded their first Premiership victory in over four years as Micky Mellon’s side left Fir Park with all three points thanks to captain Mark Reynolds’ second-half strike.

The visitors were without the services of Scotland internationalist Lawrence Shankland on a glorious afternoon in Lanarkshire but proved they are not reliant on their star striker as they picked up a thoroughly deserved first win of the season.

“It was a pleasing afternoon,” Micky Mellon said of his side’s performance. “We showed a wee bit more control in the second half at a really tough place and got that vital three points.

“There’s loads and loads to go but certainly we can enjoy this evening. Football is a tough game and you’ve got to enjoy the wins when they come along, but we’ll very be quickly be on to [our next opponents] Hibs tomorrow and get the players dusted down.”

There was an energetic start to proceedings at Fir Park with each side starting with a high intensity in a bid to gain the upper hand. The visitors were howling for a penalty early on when Ian Harkes took a tumble in the box but referee Steven McLean ruled there was no infringement from Declan Gallagher.

The game soon fell into a familiar pattern; United looked to counter their opponents and break up the park at pace when the opportunity presented itself, while Motherwell controlled most of the ball and probed for a way through the away side’s defence.

Allan Campbell spurned a glorious opportunity to open the scoring when the midfielder glanced Sherwin Seedorf’s delivery wide of the far post and Christopher Long missed another when bearing down on goal halfway through the first period. The ball fell invitingly to the forward inside the opposition box, it was trapped under his feet and the 25-year-old failed to get his shot away, much to the chagrin of the coaches in the home dugout.

Stephen Robinson’s men were in the ascendancy now with United struggling to break out of their own half but clear-cut opportunities remained at a premium.

Mellon’s cautious approach to the fixture was very nearly vindicated when Luke Bolton’s overlapping run was spotted and the winger burst into the box, only for his lashed effort to thunder into the side netting at Trevor Carson’s near post.

That was pretty much the story of the opening 45 minutes; Motherwell repeatedly attempted to unlock a resolute United defence to no avail, while the Terrors soaked up the pressure and sprung forward periodically on the counter in an effort to catch the hosts off guard. Neither strategy prevailed, though, as the teams went into the dressing rooms with the game goalless.

Tony Watt was introduced at the break, replacing Jake Hastie, as the home side looked to add some much-needed guile to their attack. United, meanwhile, started the second half in much the same way they ended the first with a steely sense of resolution at the back.

Callum Butcher’s header from a Peter Pawlett corner almost nudged the visitors ahead shortly after the restart and Robinson’s decision to bring on Watt almost reaped dividends minutes later when Ricky Lamie picked out the striker at the far post, but the striker’s effort was denied by Trevor Carson without much hassle.

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On 52 minutes, Motherwell would be punished for their profligacy. Bolton received the ball deep on the right flank and curled an inviting ball towards the far post where Reynolds was waiting to bury it in emphatic fashion.

That goal instilled Robinson’s men with a renewed sense of urgency going forward but it only reinforced the away side’s belief. The game became more open as Motherwell poured bodies forward in search of an equaliser but this suited United down to a tee, with their counter-attacking threat becoming all the more evident as time wore on.

Long failed to steer a header from close range on target as Robinson’s men attacked with a greater sense of purpose but they couldn’t find a way through the stubborn resistance that greeted them. United were in the ascendancy now as Motherwell struggled for a foothold.

Substitute Dillon Powers came within inches of doubling his team’s advantage when his powerful drive from the edge of the area crashed off the underside of the bar late on and the Steelmen had the ball in the net when Jordan White nodded home in the game’s dying embers, only for the ref to disallow it for a perceived shove in the build-up as United held firm to collect their first three points of the season.

Speaking after the final whistle, Robinson cut a frustrated figure.

“We had loads of possession,” the Northern Irishman rued. “We dominated the game again but we had no end product. How many times did we make the goalkeeper work? How many balls did we put in the box when we had the opportunity to? Not enough.”