Dundee Utd 2-1 Ayr: McMullan winner keeps United in title race

Paul McMullan drives home Dundee United's second goal against Ayr. Picture: SNS

Paul McMullan’s late winner for Neilson’s promotion hopefuls dashed leaders County’s hopes of wrapping up the Championship title at home to second-bottom Partick Thistle today as they moved to within five points of the Staggies.

United were staring at a fourth straight loss to Ian McCall’s men this season after Steven Bell had given the Somerset Park visitors a 24th-minute lead.

However, the second-top Tangerines rallied through  substitute Pavol Safranko’s stylish 63rd-minute leveller, prior to McMullan finishing the job off in the 73rd minute following a nightmare mistake by visiting keeper Ross Doohan.

United are now in pole position to finish second having surged nine points clear of Ayr to close in on that much-desired runners-up spot, but Neilson is refusing to throw in the towel just yet in terms of the flag race.

“We’re still gunning for  that top spot. There’s still  that hope,” said Neilson afterwards.

Ayr had won all three previous encounters between the sides this season so arrived on Tayside in decent spirits.

For United, Osman Sow made his long-awaited return from a niggling calf injury which had sidelined him in recent weeks.

Eager to impress, the Swedish striker came close to breaking the deadlock in the sixth minute, flashing a 25-yard shot narrowly past Doohan’s far post after latching onto a loose ball. Then, in the 18th minute, Sow thought he had given the hosts the lead.

Callum Booth’s driven ball into the box eluded the entire Ayr defence and Sow was  lurking to tap it past Doohan and into the net, only to be judged to have strayed into an offside position.

Ayr, though, forged ahead in stunning style. Andy Murdoch’s searching cross to the far post picked out Bell and he planted a textbook looping header back across goal which caught out home keeper Benjamin Siegrist as he stood stranded.

Neilson must have given his players a tongue-lashing at the interval because they came out with a lot more purpose for the start of the second half.

In the 54th minute, Ayr full-back Daniel Harvie was booked for a lunging challenge on McMullan on the edge of the penalty area. The visitors were still a threat on the  counter-attack, though, as was illustrated just before the hour mark.

A long ball forward from defender Michael Rose set Lawrence Shankland free, but the striker’s first touch was unusually poor and Siegrist came off his line to gather.

However, Safranko soon hit a spectacular equaliser having only been on the park a mere four minutes.

Ian Harkes’ cross was helped on by Paul Watson. Slovakian Safranko took the ball on his chest before sending an unstoppable volleye into the top corner from 12 yards.

McMullan then sealed the points when a horror pass from Doohan intended for Harvie was intercepted by the winger.

With only the keeper to beat, McMullan took a touch and thrashed a low shot into the far corner to send the home fans wild.

United had at long last got the better of Ayr whose legs deserted them in the closing stages to allow the hosts to see out victory.

“I thought our lads just ran out of steam near the end,” admitted Ayr boss McCall afterwards.