Dundee Utd 2
Morton 3
League (Division One)

Manager's Programme Notes

This week we face a side that can only be classed as a hoodoo to us .. .Morton. In recent seasons, both at Cappielow and Tannadice, Hal Stewart's boys have given us a rough time of it and I have no doubt they will be all out to keep up their great record against us. In September they handed out a 3-0 defeat to us and before that a six goal hammering. At Tannadice last season we did manage to win 5-4 but it was too close for comfort.

After the disappointment of the New Year defeat from St. Johnstone followed by the postponement of the Dens Park game, we now find ourselves needing a sound boost as next week we are at Ibrox and then into the Scottish Cup.

While I consider we were well beaten in the end by the Perth side, I do feel our first half display deserved more reward. Early in the second half the visitors were lucky to escape without the loss of a goal and then the side began to miss Morris Stevenson, who had been forced to withdraw with a groin strain.

One cannot deny our League position is far from impressive. But one can see a matter of three points or so would make a tremendous difference and two
points today would move us into a healthier place.

With a blank Saturday last week I took the chance to see our cup rivals
Clydebank in action at Kilbowie Park. While the ground conditions were bad,
the Bankies showed themselves to be a useful side. Former St. Mirren centre
Peter Kane has settled well into the side and has dangerous forward mates
in Jimmy Caskie and Alan Munro, brother of Davie who was on the Tannadice staff last season. In my view the mainstay of the side is wing-half Dennis Ruddy who puts in a hard-working 90 minutes.

I was interested to see the dimensions of the park were 114 yards by 71 . . . which is around the same size as Tannadice.