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General Sport - 08 April 2009
Football: Blether with Brown > Touchline
 
No fears over Goodwillie
Dundee United boss Craig Levein has admitted he’ll have no fear about using David Goodwillie in his starting line-up between now and the end of the season (writes Graeme Finnan).
Goodwillie came off the bench on Saturday to net a last-gasp equaliser against Hibs and, with fellow-striker Jon Daly likely to be ruled out for a considerable period, the Scotland U/21 international is set to be heavily involved in the run-in.

Indeed, the manager will have no qualms about playing the 20-year-old, who he described as a “silly laddie” for antics in the past.

“He’s a bit more mature now,” said Craig, who also felt too much was asked of Goodwillie too soon. “There was a lot of hype surrounding David when I first came to the club.

“It was early in his career and he was thrust into the limelight, which didn’t do him a lot of good.

“The team wasn’t doing particularly well and a lot of people were hanging their hat on a young boy to get us out of trouble.

“He was being pushed forward far too quickly and he was a silly laddie getting involved in certain things off the park.

“But he’s knuckled down and he’s stronger mentally and, as I’ve said, a far more mature person.

“He hasn’t played enough first-team games to be regarded as a regular, but now I’m far more comfortable putting him in the team.”

United were today still awaiting the results of a scan on Daly’s knee.

Jocky rues draws
First Division leaders St Johnstone may have offered the chasing pack a tiny glimmer of light by drawing at home with Dunfermline last night, but Dundee boss Jocky Scott was today still bemoaning his own side’s shortcomings (writes Graeme Finnan).
The 0-0 stalemate at McDiarmid Park saw Saints increase their lead over Partick to four points at the top of the table, but Jocky was ruing the fact his side, who lie nine points behind, aren’t close enough to put some real pressure on the Perth men.

“We let ourselves down in the three draws against Partick, Ross County and Dunfermline,” said Jocky.

“I think the fact we were in the lead in each of those games and then lost late goals has done us in more so than the defeat at Morton on Saturday.

“Had we taken maximum points from the first three away games, then we would have been sitting only three points behind St Johnstone this morning.”

However, the Dens gaffer is looking for his men to finish the season in some style, but knows the remaining five games won’t be easy.

He continued, “None of the games left are going to be easy.

“Airdrie and Clyde are fighting relegation, St Johnstone are trying to win the championship and Partick are vying with them for the title.

“And, despite all their problems off the field, Livingston are doing well on the park.

“So we have five very difficult games left to get as high up the league as we possibly can.

“What we definitely have to do is show much more competitiveness than we did at Morton.”

One man who won’t be available for Saturday’s visit of Airdrie is Paul McHale. The midfielder begins a two-match ban, which also rules him out of the following week’s trip to Livi.

Former Dundee manager Alex Rae has won an unfair dismissal case against the club.

Rae, who was sacked in October, had been due to appear at an employment tribunal hearing in Dundee today. However, it emerged yesterday the club had conceded before any evidence could be heard.

Instead, the club accepted he was wrongly dismissed and a remedy hearing — at which the level of Rae’s compensation will be decided — is now to be heard by the tribunal tomorrow.

Milne’s pain game
St Johnstone striker Steven Milne beat the pain barrier to play in last night’s home scoreless divide against Dunfermline (writes James Masson).
The former Dundee forward suffered a knee injury against Partick and revealed, “I was in pain on Sunday and limping. At that point, I thought I had no chance of making the Dunfermline game.

“However, I managed to train and, despite my knee being sore, I decided to give it a go last night.

“I got through the game all right and trust I’ll be OK to face Dunfermline again on Saturday. It is a really big game for us.”

Meanwhile, Dunfermline have a lengthy injury list.

Kevin Harper, Graeme Holmes and Simon Wiles remain on the long-term absentee list and Stephen Glass is struggling to make Saturday’s match.

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