Jim Goodwin takes Aberdeen implosion as cautionary Dundee Utd tale as triumphant boss roars 'I wish season was over NOW'
Jim Goodwin admitted he wished the Premiership would end NOW after a dream derby win sunk Dundee and sent United into third.
Sam Dalby slotted home Kevin Holt’s cutback in the 88th minute right in front of the away support to spark a Tangerine party at Dens - and leave the Dark Blues nursing the worst kind of new year hangover. Goodwin had promised pre-match that United would make the 200-yard walk to first foot their neighbours with chests puffed out and ready for battle.
Little over four hours later they strutted back down the road with three points in the bag and new year bragging rights charging their swagger. Perhaps even more importantly they’d stormed past Aberdeen into third just two months after trailing the free-falling Dons by 13 points. Former United hitman Simon Murray had fired Dundee ahead from the spot in the 61st minute after VAR had judged Kevin Holt - himself lining up against his former side - to have handled in his own area.
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But that lit the blue touch paper on a derby cracker as Vicko Sevelj levelled with his first United goal and teed up Dalby to hit his 10th and biggest goal in tangerine yet. And Goodwin admits he wouldn’t have believed anyone who would have told him his side would be third 10 weeks ago.
He said: “It’s just a brilliant way to win again, similar to the Aberdeen game, we speak about last minute winners. The supporters love it. And we as players and staff certainly enjoy the moment as well.
“I wish the season was over tonight now, to be honest with you! That would be a remarkable season for a newly promoted team. But we're not talking about European places, we're not talking about top-six. I know it's really boring and probably not what you guys want to hear, but it's still about getting the points required to make sure that we're a Premiership team next season.
“We're sitting third on the table just now, above Aberdeen on goal difference. If you'd have told me that 10 weeks ago, I wouldn't have believed you, given how far out in front they were. But we've been very, very consistent. I think Aberdeen is probably a team that we look at, and I remind the players of, that you can't get carried away, you can't get complacent, because that shows, if you do lose a couple of games and confidence goes, then you can go on the kind of run that Aberdeen are on.
“Enjoy the moment, but we won't get carried away. We won't allow ourselves to think all of a sudden. we've become this brilliant team.
“We're getting results because of the hard work and the resilience that the players are showing. We've created a great culture within the group and that'll carry us a long way.”
Dalby’s late winner was the 14th Premiership goal Dundee United have scored after the 75th minute this season. And Goodwin said: “There's no better feeling, really. We're over the moon with the results that we've had during this festive period. It's been a really testing and challenging time for us as a squad. We've had injuries, obviously, to contend with, with the likes of Moult and Sibbald still out.”
For Dundee the nine-year wait for a derby win in the league goes on. But they’ll argue they deserved more. Fin Robertson went close four times before the break - not least when Ryan Strain brilliantly cleared his goal bound effort off the line in the eighth minute.
They got the breakthrough a minute after the hour mark - with a little help from VAR. Holt appeared to head Seb Palmer-Houldon’s cross clear but on closer inspection the ball came off his arm.
Whether he’d headed it onto his limb was a point for debate - but Steven MacLean pointed to the spot after being sent to the monitor. And it was left to Murray to send Walton the wrong way from 12 yards as he netted his first derby goal in Dark Blue.
But within four minutes United were level. Sub Ross Graham launched a mammoth throw into the six yard box where Palmer-Houldon could only help it onto the back post and Sevelj powered in to head home from four yards.
Carson pulled off a wonder save to divert Strain’s shot over the bar with his foot. But there was absolutely nothing the keeper could do to stop Dalby notching the winner.
Holt of all people found himself in space on the left flank and fired a perfect cross into the danger area for the loan hitman to apply the perfect touch past Carson and spark a new year party in the away end.
