Dundee United ace Marc McNulty on that goal feeling after 322- day wait, pressure penalty and playing with Tony Watt

It was a feeling Marc McNulty had been searching for. The one invoked from the ball hitting the back of the net and met with screams of joy and jubilation.

He had got a taste for it in the Scottish Cup, opening the scoring in the win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in the fourth round. But in the league the wait has been a long one.

The 29-year-old’s goal from the penalty spot in the 1-1 draw with Aberdeen was his first in the Premiership in 322 days. Not that you’d have known it from the way he confidently dispatched it past Joe Lewis.

“I saw it as a chance to get the goal I was after,” he said.

“I’ve taken a few penalties on big occasions, I've missed a few and scored a few.

“You can’t play the occasion. You need to stay calm, luckily I did that and it has hit the back of the net.”

McNulty joked by asking how many years it had been since his last league goal. But you have to remember during those 322 days he missed 14 games due to a hamstring injury.

On top of that, you have to take into account the time taken to get back up to speed. That is an injury where it takes time to get that positive feeling and rhythm back into their game. It is very rarely an immediate case where a player goes from being out to then coming back 100 per cent in his first game.

Marc McNulty scored against Aberdeen. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

“It was nice to get a goal, I have forgotten what it is like,” McNulty said.

“It was a good point in the end because it wasn’t our best performance but with the occasion, a sell-out and it being a tough place to come, we will take it.

“I haven’t scored for ages. It was good to get the goal because it has been a difficult time with injury and then when I came back my form wasn’t that great.

“I feel over the last couple of games I feel I am getting back up to fitness and sharpness.

McNulty is looking to develop a strong partnership with Tony Watt. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

“I’m still not quite there yet but I can still take some positives because the first couple of games there weren’t many positives. At least I can take that into the next game.”

The next game is Livingston in what is a huge game for Dundee United and their pursuit of a top six place. Livi, following their 4-0 drubbing of Dundee, are breathing down their necks just one point behind.

McNulty, having now played four consecutive 90 minutes, will be looking to cause problems in tandem with Tony Watt.

“It is brilliant [playing beside Watt]," he said.

“He is a great lad and everybody can see how hard he works. He probably doesn’t get enough credit for that. He runs back and chases it and he is a handful.

“He is very honest and comes off and says he has had a nightmare. That is the standard he sets and it is good when you play with people like that as it keeps your standards high. It keeps pushing you.”

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