Dundee United head coach Thomas Courts has backed Reading loanee Marc McNulty to bounce back from a glaring miss in the weekend’s match with St Mirren.

The striker raced through on goal in the second half but somehow slid his effort wide in the 0-0 Scottish Premiership draw. McNulty spent last season on loan at Dundee United from Reading and endured a frustrating term, scoring five times in 30 matches under then-manager Micky Mellon.

Dundee United v Motherwell - Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership

The Reading loanee missed a golden chance. (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)

Courts said: “That’s the life and times of a number nine striker. He is a guy of high quality, I’m sure he’s missed chances like that before and if anyone is running through one-on-one next week, he’s the guy I’d want. To be fair to Marc he’s had a disjointed pre-season so he’s probably still seeking match fitness.

“But like some managers have said previously, our problem historically has been creating the chances. We could have had a breakthrough day by scoring three goals but it wasn’t to be. We’re frustrated with only a point but I’ve got to commend the players.

“We certainly created a lot of good chances and had some good combination play. We inherited a team that didn’t create a lot of chances last year so it’s a bit of a breakthrough for us. Hopefully the killer instinct is the next part of our team.”

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