Partick Preview

United are back at Tannadice this Saturday after an enforced two-week lay-off following the much needed and refreshingly emphatic league win over Kilmarnock. By Ally Stewart Following the postponement at Firhill last Saturday, it is Glasgow side Partick who happen to be our Scottish Cup Fifth Round opponents this time around. The Kilmarnock result, and even more so the manner of it, has sparked some hope of a revival amongst United fans which added to the huge sense of frustration at last week’s call off. The big question now is just how far the 5-1 victory will have gone in terms of restoring the confidence within the side. What we need now is a run of results in the league and, while this is a different competition, a similar outcome will not only see us in the hat for the next round but also be another step in the right direction towards consistency. Regardless of the fact that the main aim for the side this season is now to stave off relegation, the Scottish Cup is a competition which as a Club we value greatly. Inside the last decade we’ve enjoyed the unbridled joy of victory in 2010 as well as the other end of the spectrum on a day to forget in the final of 2014. No matter what the emotions are, one thing that remains constant is how much the fans care about it. In terms of past Scottish Cup encounters we can (like we need an excuse) look back to the campaign of 2009/10 for a memorable meeting between the two. The Tangerines travelled in numbers to the West Coast on a cold day in January to witness a fiery and somewhat controversial tie. Their backing was rewarded as they controlled a first half which saw them lead thanks to a Damian Casalinuovo goal in 26 minutes. With the score still at 1-0 United, there was a late onslaught from the home side who should have scored late on when Liam Buchanan headed straight into the arms of Dusan Pernis. The game was deservedly settled in the 90^th minute when David Goodwillie chased a long ball out before working his way along the bye line before neatly beating goalkeeper Jonny Tuffey at his near post. With United desperate to string a sequence of results together just now let’s remind ourselves how fortunes turned from this point with a 3^rd place finish achieved comfortably ahead of lifting the trophy at Hampden. This recent memory is one reason why the significance of a positive result on Saturday should not be lost. Let’s get behind the side in numbers on Saturday and show the team how much we want this. Come on United!!! Click here for ticket info.