A priceless last-gasp winner from gem Ricky Gillies moved bottom club St
Mirren to within a point of Dundee United at the foot of the table with just
four SPL games remaining this season.
A win for Dundee United would have almost certainly secured their Premier
League status and a great second half goal from Steven Thompson put them within
touching distance of survival.
But if the Paisley side accomplish the football equivalent of the great escape
then United manager Alex Smith would have hapless defender Jim Lauchlan to thank
for literally handing them the spot-kick.
St Mirren, however, needed something and someone golden to change the game and
it was Gillies who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a cooly taken
spot-kick before breaking United's hearts in the dying seconds.
United manager Smith would have settled for a draw at the start of play
with influential duo Charlie Miller and Jamie McCunnie out through suspension.
But United looked in control midway through the second half and in the opening
exchanges looked the more likely of the two teams to string a couple of passes
together, and in the ninth minute their first purposeful move almost brought
them a goal.
Danny Griffin's free-kick into the box was met by Hamilton, who found the
in-form Derek Lilley, but he pulled his effort wide of the post from a difficult
angle.
But the desperate Saints came charging back and almost produced the opener
from nothing in the 17th minute.
Gillies played the ball over the top to the pacy Stephen McPhee - on loan from
Coventry City - and he hit a first time shot from long range which Paul
Gallacher comfortably saved.
The lively McPhee again got away from the United defence five minutes later as
he controlled Scott MacKenzie's pass, but Lauchlan made a timely interception
for the visitors.
The home side let United off the hook in the 26th minute when Barry McLaughlin
rose unmarked in the box to meet Bowman's corner, but he somehow managed to
thunder his header past the post.
The ball was pin-balling from end to end and United almost conjured up the
breakthrough in the 32nd minute.
Thompson did well to whip the ball in from the left flank, but Jim Hamilton
headed just over the crossbar.
But United star Craig Easton should have done better just five minutes before
the break when he was presented with a fantastic chance.
Thompson cut in from the left and placed the ball across the face of goal -
which Hamilton dummied - leaving Easton with a great chance to score, but he
snatched at the chance and totally mis-kicked it.
Moments later Ludovic Roy had to get down well to his left to save David
Hannah's long-range drive.
United started where they left off at the break and St Mirren were finding it
increasingly difficult to get out of their own half.
Thompson teed the ball up for Hamilton to try his luck five minutes after the
restart, but he snatched at the chance and lashed the ball high over the bar
from edge of the box.
But the home side did not learn from that and they paid the price in the 53rd
minute when United grabbed the vital opener.
The awkward Hamilton found space on the left before whipping in an inviting
cross for Thompson to head emphatically past Gallacher and into the top corner
of his net.
United defender Lauchlan gifted the home side a lifeline in the 70th minute
when he needlessly handled Bowen's corner and referee Hugh Dallas pointed to the
spot.
In the melee before the kick United had Hannah booked for clashing with Mark
Yardley, but despite the lack of calm around him Gillies stepped up to fire into
the bottom corner of the net.
United retaliated and almost snatched the lead back in the 81st minute when
Griffin's corner fell to Hamilton, but captain Turner made a decisive block to
deny him a certain goal.
But there was pandemonium in the dying seconds when Gillies found himself in
space on the edge of the box before drilling the ball past Gallacher and into
the bottom corner to give his side what could be a priceless three points.
Teams:
St Mirren: Roy, Turner, Barry McLaughlin, Walker, McGowan,
McKenzie, McPhee, Gillies, Bowman, Fenton (Quitongo 78),Yardley.
Subs Not Used: Scrimgour, Nicolson, McGarry, Baltacha.
Booked: Barry McLaughlin.
Goals: Gillies 70 pen, 90.
Dundee Utd: Gallacher, Buchan, Lauchlan, De Vos, Partridge,
Easton, Griffin, Hannah, Lilley, Hamilton, Thompson.
Subs Not Used: Combe, Venetis, Davidson, McCracken, Winters.
Booked: Hannah.
Goals: Thompson 53.
Att: 6,473
Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).
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