Spark missing as United scrape replay

ST MIRREN 0

DUNDEE UTD 0

IF THIS is what life after Barry Robson amounts to for Dundee United, then it ain't pretty. United manager Craig Levein admitted that Robson was the player who had turned the match in their favour the last time these sides met and yesterday his absence, after being sold to Celtic on Thursday, was keenly felt, with the differing responses from the dressing rooms summing up the match.

St Mirren were kicking themselves for squandering the opportunity to secure a place in the next round of the Scottish Cup, the visitors offering a sigh of relief that they will still be in this afternoon's draw. "If anyone was going to score, it was going to be us," said Gus McPherson. "Our keeper never had a save. We're frustrated not to win."

The teams must now do it all over again at Tannadice on Tuesday week.

United had ousted St Mirren from the tournament last season and, in their two previous encounters this term, United had won both, scoring five goals in all without reply. But on the previous trip to Love Street, United had Robson to help dig them out the mire. "The last time we came here we played exactly the same as we did for the whole game today and to be honest it was Barry who made the difference in that game and yes he might have made the difference today. We didn't play great so I have to be happy we have another chance in the replay," Levein said.

United started with five across the midfield, leaving Noel Hunt up front on his own. It might have worked if the balls in from wide had been more telling, or if the lone striker had stayed up and offered a target rather than constantly dropping deep to collect. There was nothing to offer in the final third.

It actually took them until the first minute of the second half to conjure up their first real shot on target, a Hunt drive from the edge of the box. Within a matter of seconds they had doubled their first-half attempts tally when Prince Bauben tried to bring a halt to the penalty box faffing about but drove just wide. No wonder the United fans took a break from their verbal adulation of chairman Eddie Thomspon to burst into a chorus of "We want Mark de Vries, we want Mark de Vries".

Until that point the limited goalmouth excitement had come from St Mirren. In the opening minutes of the game, Andy Dorman had a chance but it was punched clear by United keeper Lukasz Zaluska. In the 35th minute David van Zanten forced the Pole into action again, his low shot being collected by the keeper at full stretch. They certainly had the greater attacking impetus and two minutes later they were inches away from the opening goal. A long pass found Mark Corcoran and his volley across the goal had just too much on it and although Dorman appeared to get a slight touch it sneaked just past the post.

Referee Mike McCurry, the official at the heart of the midweek CIS Cup semi-final handball row, again swept aside similar claims. This time it was United defender Darren Dods who was cleared of any infringement. Having blocked a David Barron cross, he appeared to handle as Dargo tried to hit the ball through him and, when the forward had a second stab at it, the home fans again called in vain for handball.

After a first half in which both sides struggled to stitch together consecutive passes to their own team-mates, St Mirren went for too many as they tried to carve an opening in the 56th minute and by the time Billy Mehmet had the shot, United had managed to get a boot in and it was deflected off target.

A reshuffle of the personnel opened up the game slightly in the 58th minute, with United switching to a 4-4-2 and throwing on De Vries to partner Hunt and Danny Swanson on in the midfield and at least he had a little more invention, getting up to offer support to his strikeforce and even battering in an attempt of his own.

But, while the visitors began to offer something slightly more inspiring, everything is relative and they had Zaluska to thank. He had to be quick off the mark to get out to the edge of the area and skelp the ball away as the scampering Dargo homed in. In the 76th minute, Corcoran tried to take matters into his own hands, making a marauding run through the middle of the park but, delaying just a smidgeon too long, his pass slipped through to Dargo found the striker marginally offside.

St Mirren surely would have scored in the 89th minute had it not been for Zaluska, Mehmet's 20-yard strike prompting a one-handed save. They may not have had Robson but they can thank their lucky stars they had Zaluska.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Polish keepers have been the toast of Tannadice this season. Dundee United's stopper Lukasz Zaluska kept them in the tie and ensured they will now have another chance to progress to the last eight.

ASIDE: Even before the teams took to the pitch the away support boomed out a supportive chorus of "There's only one Eddie Thompson" for their chairman.