Peter Houston still focused on winning a top-six place

DUNDEE United manager Peter Houston savoured his team’s progress into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, but insisted that securing a top six finish in the SPL takes precedence over trying to win the famous old trophy for the second time in three years.

Just as they did on their way to lifting the Scottish Cup in 2010 at the start of Houston’s tenure, United eliminated Rangers yesterday to book their place in today’s quarter-final draw at Hampden.

Houston was understandably satisfied with his team’s performance, first half goals by Gavin Gunning and Johnny Russell earning the 2-0 win, and is hopeful their current form will be now be rewarded with a greater return of league points. “My priority is still the top six of the SPL,” said Houston. “We are playing well just now and have done so recently without getting the victories we have deserved. I want to turn these good performances into more three points in the league. We will take what we get in the Scottish Cup.

“It was a good team performance today, especially in the first half. I was worried about Rangers being a wounded animal after the difficult week they had off the pitch and of them taking the game to us from the start. But we never gave them that opportunity.

“I was still wary of the 2-0 half-time lead, because sometimes there is a tendency to sit back and hold your 18-yard line here in that situation. That’s why I was constantly on at our defence to push up throughout the second- half.

“We didn’t play as well in the second- half, but we stopped Rangers from creating chances. We got in their faces and we stopped them playing. Today was about what we did, not about what Rangers didn’t do.”