Dundee United stumbled into the fourth round of the Scottish Cup thanks to a solitary strike by top scorer Billy Dodds.

Although they were in almost total control for the 90 minutes, their failure to seriously trouble visiting keeper Jim Chalmers must be a huge worry for manager Paul Sturrock.

The Hampden Amateurs were outclassed in midfield but their defence always looked comfortable and the whole 11 can be proud of their sortie into Premier League country.

For United, it's back to the drawing board and they will have to improve soon or their cup run could be over at either Clydebank or Ross County in the next round.

The home side made two changes from the team defeated at Perth on Saturday, and were without their recent signing from Celtic, midfielder Dave Hannah.

Incredibly it was the visitors who threatened first when Scott Edgar ran on to David Alexander's through-ball, but keeper Sieb Dykstra advanced from his area and got enough of a touch to allow Jason de Vos to complete the clearance.

Ex-United striker Gordon Parkes made a good chance for himself after a solo run but from the edge of the area shot disappointingly over the bar.

De Vos then followed in a header from a Joe Miller corner and the same two players combined to allow Kjell Olofsson to nod the ball back but Dodds' close-range shot was cleared off the line by Jim Brown.

Jamie Bolan drove a 25-yarder inches past the post then earned himself the only yellow card of the game with a late challenge on Barry Rossiter.

Seven minutes from the break United broke the deadlock with a simple goal when Olofsson swept a cross to the far post and Dodds angled a header past Chalmers to notch his ninth goal for United this season.

Although United were in almost total control after the interval, a Dodds header which came back off the bar and an Erik Pedersen shot from 16 yards, which hit the outside of the post, were all they had to show for almost constant pressure.

Teams

Dundee Utd: Dykstra, Malpas, Jonsson, Pedersen, Olofsson, Dolan, Easton, Mathie (Thompson 49), Dodds, Miller, De Vos, Thompson (Paterson 84).

Subs Not Used: Skoldmark.

Booked: Dolan.

Goals: Dodds 38.

Queen's Park: Charmers, Caven, Connaghan, Rossiter, Alexander, Ferguson (Tyrrell 66), Finlayson, Ferry, Edgar, Brown (Agostini 89), Parks (Little 86).

Att: 4,967

Ref: J Rowbotham (Kirkcaldy).