By Graeme McGill
A 0-0 stalemate saw St Johnstone and Dundee United go to penalties and it was the Tangerines who triumphed with Nicky Clark scoring the decider and stealing the bonus group stage point from under the noses of the hosts.
Both teams took time to settle into any kind of rhythm and clear-cut chances were few and far between in the opening stages. David Wotherspoon forced a good save from Deniz Mehmet, testing him with a powerful shot from the edge of the area in the opening minutes.
Dundee United won a corner in the 35th minute and whilst it looked like an easy save for Mehmet, he managed to spill the ball, luckily for him, the United rearguard were the first to react and swiftly cleared the danger.
Wotherspoon was gifted a golden opportunity in the opening stages of the second half with Callum Hendry, teeing him up with a clear shot at goal, but he snatched at it and sent the ball way over the bar.
Dundee United really started to crank up the pressure after the hour mark but a loaded St Johnstone box saw their efforts blocked, deflected out for corners. St Johnstone managed to break away on the counter and in the 71st minute Chris Kane swung in a terrific cross which found Shaun Rooney, with only a fantastic diving save from Mehmet denying him.
The closing exchanges saw both sides jostling for possession with physical battles in the middle of the park. The only real clear cut opportunity was Michael O’Halloran’s 88th minute crack at goal from outside the box forcing a diving save from Mehmet.
The resulting penalty shootout saw Dundee United win 4-3 on penalties and reach the top of their league cup group. St. Johnstone have the chance to secure their place in the next round by topping their group should they win against Peterhead on Saturday. Here are three things we learned.
Home is where the heart is
St Johnstone have only scored two goals at home all season. Whilst they may defend robustly and absorb pressure well before trying to hit on the counter, Callum Davidson’s side were again tonight lacking in firepower and creative vision in the final third.
It’s something the McDiarmid Park boss will be keen to resolve soon as they look well-drilled in every other aspect.
Saints have it all to do
While it was Dundee United who triumphed in the penalty shootout, St. Johnstone have a game in hand in the League Cup group stage. They travel to Peterhead on Saturday which will be a tough fixture away from home.
Victory would see them top the group and guarantee their place in the next round. They will need to take their chances in front of goal to take top spot home from Balmoor.
Dundee United not firing in attack
Micky Mellon has an attacking arsenal that will be the envy of most Premiership managers with Championship hotshot Lawrence Shankland, Nicky Clark and ex-Hibs frontman Marc McNulty at his disposal.
Whilst Shankland was not available for this game as he is on international duty the three have seven goals between them this term. Mellon will surely be expecting a much better return from his strikers over the rest of the campaign.