EASTIE DELIGHTED AT COMEBACK WIN

A delighted Craig Easton spoke to Dundee United's online TV channel ArabZONE after the enthralling 3-2 victory over St Johnstone colts in the Irn-Bru Cup last night at Tannadice.

Despite the Tangerines trailing by two goals after 60 minutes, Eastie was always confident the boys could turn it around saying, "It was a really tough game. A hard win and the boys worked ever so hard and deserved it in the end, I think.

"They were up against an excellent St Johnstone colts team, and despite going in one nil down at halftime, I felt we had been the better team. Albeit we hadn't created much in the final third. In the first fifteen minutes of the second half, we didn't start well, and they deserved their second goal, and we had our work cut out at that point."

A Logan Chalmers goal in the 64th minute kept United in the game and Craig acknowledged it came at the right time.

"We got a little bit of luck with the break of the ball for Logan's goal, and he took it well. It was a good time to get a goal, and I thought from then on we deserved to at least equalise but just as we were preparing for penalties we snatch the winner, and I was delighted with that."

Indeed, most in the 700 crowd who witnessed the incredible turnaround in the scoreline would admit that they perhaps didn't see it coming, but Craig laid all the credit for the sensational final 26 minutes at the feet of the players.

"We changed things a wee bit, but it was more the guys taking a little bit more care with passing and taken care of possession and being patient. We forced a couple of corners and free kicks and built the pressure and if you keep a team under pressure something has to give, and it did."

The pick of the goals on a night was Paul Mcmullan's first and United's second that saw McMullan burst through the defense and get on the end of a Matty Smith backheel one-two before sliding it past the keeper. Craig was delighted and pleasantly surprised the move came off!

"We were sitting on the bench watching Matty attempt the backheel and thinking it wasn't on but you have to let the players see things on the park for themselves.

"You know what though? The third goal was also very pleasing. Logan Chalmers has done well in the middle of the park, and Louie Appere makes a great run across the box and takes a defender away to allow Paul to break across the other side, and it's a great finish."

The night's joy was tempered slightly by a first-minute injury to Archie Thomas in a 50/50 challenge.

Craig said, "Archie was just unlucky. He is the type of the player who will go in for those challenges, brave, and it is just one of those things. We have no news at the moment on how he is, but hopefully, we get good news.

"Despite the early setback with Archie going off, I was very pleased with how the younger lads in the team handled the occasion. Ross Graham, who is a centre-half played left-back and done well in large parts of the game despite being a first-year youth academy graduate. All over the park, we had some great performances, and I am delighted for the boys that they are in the hat for the draw today."

The draw for the next round of the Irn-Bru Cup takes places later today at 1pm and can be viewed live on the SPFL facebook page.