MICKY Mellon, the Dundee United manager, expressed his anger at seeing his Premiership side slump to a shock Betfred Cup defeat at the hands of Peterhead.
Mellon refused to conceal his emoti in the wake of his team’s lacklustre efforts which were ultimately punished by Steven Boyd’s 51st minute winner at Tannadice.
United were fully expected to prove too powerful for Jim McInally’s part-time visitors, but this surprise result leaves them facing some pressure to qualify from their Group C campaign.
And manager Mellon admitted afterwards the failure of some fringe players to step up angered him most.
Mellon said: “I’m angry. That is personal emotion.
“I’m probably frustrated that there were a lot of people given an opportunity.
“What we’ve tried to do is give everybody a good crack at trying to show us they can play for a big club like Dundee United – a fantastic club.
“But too many were just off it although all due credit to Jim and his boys because they thoroughly deserved to get a result.
“In terms of us, we have to be better at everything. It was a disappointing afternoon.
“Basically, not enough of the players who came in created me problems by showing they could play every week.
“When the exam comes and you get the opportunity, you’ve got to go and pass it but that didn’t happen.
“The best place to do your talking is on the pitch. That has never changed.
“It hurts to say we were deservedly beaten. However, we were second-best in so many areas of the pitch.”
United had already savoured a 6-2 win at League Two outfit Brechin City in midweek, but for League One Peterhead this was their opening tie, having not played competitively since losing to Falkirk back in early March.
They began brightly though. As early as the eighth minute, Andrew McCarthy’s whipped cross was met by Isaac Layne whose header from inside the six-yard box went wide when he really ought to have broken the deadlock.
Layne’s enforced departure through injury just after the half-hour mark seemed like a set-back for the Blue Toon, but still they managed to contain their Premiership hosts.
Within minutes of the restart, Peterhead threatened through substitute Alan Cook who was presented with a half-chance when he turned and fired a shot just wide of Deniz’s far post.
However, they didn’t have to wait too much longer before taking the lead.
McCarthy’s low ball was inch-perfect for Boyd, the former Hamilton striker, who kept his cool to steer a fine finish into Deniz’s far corner.
United responded through Jamie Robson in 62 minutes. The defender almost equalised when he surged forward and shot with his weaker right foot which flashed just inches wide of Joshua Rae’s post.
Then, soon after, Peter Pawlett crossed from the left for the on-rushing Ian Harkes who headed just wide of the target, prior to substitute Dillon Powers bulleting a header past from a few yards out late on.
Peterhead manager McInally said: “I did say that if we played like how we can, we could do something.
“It was just a day when we all turned up.
“They were a joy to watch. I really enjoyed it and even our fitness was outstanding given it was our first game in quite some time.
“They were all given jobs to do and they did them well.
“But we’ve set standards and we’ve got to maintain them. There is no good doing this at Tannadice and then going to Brechin on Tuesday night and blowing it.
“We’ve given ourselves an opportunity to try and do something in the group. It would be great to qualify and get some money with the way finances are in football right now.”
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