Kevin CiubotaruSNS

Kevin Ciubotaru converted Dundee United's third to seal a fine win

At a glance

  • United two up inside 12 minutes on Goodwin return

  • Ciubotaru adds third on stroke of half time

  • St Mirren have penalty overturned & Utd's Bennie has red withdrawn

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at The Marbill Coaches Stadium

Dundee United emphatically dispatched St Mirren to earn just their second Premiership win of the season on manager Jim Goodwin's return following a health issue.

Clinical early finishes by Jesse Randall and Lyall Cameron set them on route to a deserved victory, with Kevin Ciubotura's goal just before half time delivering a much-needed three points.

There were one or two let offs, with St Mirren having a penalty award overturned for offside and a red card for United winger Daniel Bennie being downgraded on review.

But United were merited winners as they inflicted a third straight defeat upon St Mirren as their strong start to the season starts to stutter.

The Paisley side started brightly enough but United pounced on their first opportunity and never looked back. Randall burst through the defence and rounded a slow-looking Jacob Chapman in goal to tap home the opener.

The second arrived promptly when Cameron held off a weak-looking challenge on the edge of the penalty area and reversed the ball just inside a post.

St Mirren looked to have been handed a lifeline when Killian Phillips was pulled down in the box by Bert Esselink, but an offside call rescued United after VAR got involved.

Bennie escaped a red when he lunged in on Ryan Carr, his red being overturned, and United's third sealed it when an excellent rehearsed set piece left Ciubotaru alone to slide the ball through Chapman's legs.

St Mirren analysis: Quickfire concessions too much

St Mirren were knocking the ball around well in the early stages but, after the quickfire concessions, they just couldn't get a grip of the game.

You could point the finger at the defending for all three goals. The midfield might have done better as United pounced with Chapman a bit slow to react off his line.

For the second, the chance looked there to get tight to Cameron but he held off a challenge easily and finished well. And for the third, they just didn't anticipate a rehearsed set piece routine that cut them open.

They couldn't create chances with a Paul Nsio effort against the bar as close as they came.

Graphic

Dundee Utd analysis: Clinical visitors impress

Five points from six league games was not the start United would have sought, albeit the consensus was that they probably merited more than that.

One major criticism has been an inability to score. Just six league goals before this, four of them in one win at Kilmarnock.

The shooting boots were on here, though. Randall and Cameron took their goals very well. It was two shots, two goals at that stage and you can't get much more clinical.

United had a fright when St Mirren's penalty was overturned, and kicked on impressively to produce a display full of invention, skill and attacking threat.

Three points heading into the international break puts a healthier complexion on their position and marks a great return for the manager.

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1 J. Chapman
3 D. John
53 H. Fieldson
13 A. Gogić
47 C. Ramsay
30 F. Taylor
8 R. Carr
48 P. Nsio
88 K. Phillips
19 I. Kabia
9 E. Sule

Substitutes

24 J. Farquhar
23 C. Mochrie
16 L. Thomas
20 J. Young
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