Jim Goodwin challenged Dundee United to hunt down the teams above them in the race for Europe after they surged eight points clear of sixth-placed Hearts with a 1-0 win at Tynecastle.
The Tannadice side secured their top-six place in the William Hill Premiership on Saturday after results elsewhere went their way.
And they had more joy on Sunday after Sam Dalby’s stunning second-half header, following an error from Michael Steinwender, was enough to secure a hard-fought victory over the 10-man Jambos and keep them on the coat-tails of Hibernian and Aberdeen.
“During the season, we’ve been in and around the top six pretty much the whole time,” said manager Goodwin. “Had we not been able to secure the top six after being there all season, it would have been a major disappointment.
“Once that got confirmed yesterday we had a good, positive meeting with the players back at the hotel and discussed the fact that the league is not over.
“Just because we have got that top six now doesn’t mean the next seven games are meaningless because we want to push for those European places now. We look at the opportunity to try and catch the teams above us.”
United capitalised on the 38th-minute dismissal of teenage Hearts forward James Wilson, who went into a challenge with Luca Stephenson with his foot raised. Goodwin did not think there was any intent to hurt his opponent but felt a red card was “probably the right outcome”.
Hearts manager Neil Critchley, whose side still have work to do to secure their top-six place, admitted the teenager mistimed his challenge by “an absolute fraction”.
“The referee is right on top of it,” he said. “In this day and age, if you mistime a tackle, then you give the referee a decision to make.
“I thought up until that point we were by far the better team. There’s an expectation on us to win today and get the job done.
“We didn’t play with any nerves, any anxiety or anything like that. We were really good. I felt we played with real purpose.
“I thought the only thing missing was the final bit. If we were shooting, we shot straight at the goalkeeper or we missed the target.
“If we’d been a little bit better in the final third, I think no-one could have argued if we’d have been two up. Then the red card has a huge bearing on the outcome of the game.
“But even then, I don’t think you could tell who had 11 and who had 10.”
[(Racing Club de Avellaneda) Strength]: 1. Racing Club de Avellaneda lost their first encounter 0-1, so they cannot afford any loss this time and must go all out to win, fully motivated.2. In the last domestic league game, Adrian Balboa performed well and scored the first goal to put the team ahead.3. Racing Club de Avellaneda scored 5 goals and conceded 5 in the last 5 games with good performance...
[(Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) Strength]: 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors performed stably across all competitions this season. Since April, the team have remained unbeaten in the last 20 matches.2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at halftime in 4 consecutive games, getting into form quickly on offense.3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at least 2 goals per game in 5 consecutive matches, showing strong attack.4....
[(Velez Sarsfield) Strength]: 1. During their first encounter, Velez Sarsfield played a goalless draw. In this home game, they vow to grab a win and advance, with full motivation.2. Braian Romero withstood the pressure in the last game and scored a penalty in the final moment, helping the team seal a last-gasp victory.3. Velez Sarsfield defeated Club Atletico Independiente 2-1 in the last game, wh...
[(Ferencvaros) Strength]: 1. Ferencvaros are motivated to win this home game and take the lead in advancing.2. Cadu scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Ferencvaros received 3 wins and 1 loss in the last 4 home games, revealing outstanding home performances.4. Ferencvaros scored 11 goals and conceded 3 in the last 5 games, boasting excellent attack and solid defens...
[(Gwangju FC) Strength]: 1. The first leg of the Semi-finals will see Gwangju FC play at home first. They hope to grab the advantage, with full motivation.2. Gwangju FC forward Reis scored twice in the last game, being in good form.3. Gwangju FC performed well and scored a 2-0 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen in hte last game, thus getting back on the winning ways.4. AH market provided home team a -1...
[(FC Machida Zelvia) Strength]: 1. In the last league game, Korean internationals Oh Se Hun and Na Sang Ho both scored in open play, showing decent performances.2. This game is FC Machida Zelvia's fourth consecutive home game, which is in favor of them.3. FC Machida Zelvia won 3-0 over Cerezo Osaka in the last league game, securing a 10-game winning streak across all competitions.4. FC Machida Zel...
[(Crvena Zvezda) Strength]: 1. Crvena Zvezda vow to win this home game in order to grab the advancing advantage, with full motivation.2. Aleksandar Katai performed very well in the last domestic league game. He scored a hat-trick in a win for the team.3. Crvena Zvezda defeated Mladost Lucani 4-1 in the last domestic league game. They achieved 7 wins and 1 draw in the last 8 games, being in red-hot...
[(Sao Paulo FC) Strength]: 1. Sao Paulo FC drew with Atletico Nacional in the first leg on the road. They will advance to the next round if they win this round at home, indicating full motivation to win.2. Sao Paulo FC signed Serie A team Atalanta BC captain Rafael Toloi recently. He is expected to make his debut in this match.3. Sao Paulo FC drew 2-2 with Sport Club do Recife in the last league g...
[(Chengdu Rongcheng FC) Strength]: 1. Chengdu Rongcheng FC drew 0-0 with Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in the last Chinese Super League, ending their winning streak. However, the team were unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw in the last 6 games, showing commendable performances.2. Chengdu Rongcheng FC scored 12 goals in the last 5 home games, revealing outstanding attack at home.3. Chengdu Rongcheng FC are now ...
[(Sanfrecce Hiroshima) Strength]: 1. Sanfrecce Hiroshima have achieved 14 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses in the league so far this season. They have scored 30 goals and conceded 18 goals in 26 league matches, and currently rank 5th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game and have a strong desire to win.2. Naoto Arai, the main defender of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, has performed stea...
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