Dunfermline game - a chance missed?

Happy and Content or Slightly Dismayed?

Looking back at yesterday's game against Dunfermline, I really can't make up my mind if it was a good result for the club.

Beforehand, I don't think there is any doubt that most Arabs would have been happy with a draw and the status quo remaining intact with regards the points difference between us and the team at the bottom of the league. After witnessing one of the most dour and abject performances from a visiting team to Tannadice in a long time, I am now thinking that it was a lost opportunity to put the relegation issue to bed once and for all. The stats will tell us that Dundee United had 62% of possession, Dundee United had 13 goal attempts with 5 on target and Dunfermline had 4 goal attempts with 0 on target. Derek Stillie described the game as the quietest afternoon he could ever recall in his career as a Goalkeeper. Quite simply, the facts suggest we threw away a great opportunity to beat Dunfermline.

There were plenty of positives to be taken from the game. Lee Wilkie strolled through the game and whilst he will face harder challenges this season, the confidence he will have taken from his performance will bide him in good stead for future games. The fact we gained a clean sheet after a few ropey defensive performances should also be taking as a positive but the most obvious positive to be taken is that this game signified the end of Barry Robson's 3 match suspension. The Captain's vital role in the team has not been more obviously highlighted than through his exclusion and the resulting performances. This was brought home by his starring role in the cup win over St Mirren during his League suspension. Rumours on the message board suggest we may be about to hear that the ‘Ginger Prince' has secured a new 4 year deal with the club, lets hope so because when he is on the park he gives us true hope that games are never lost.

Looking back to the Dunfermline game, the result will be largely unimportant should we continue to pick up points when the others around do not and on this matter the next league game away at St Mirren should prove to be yet another high tension afternoon for us Arabs.