He said, “I didn’t feel well heading through to St Mirren, but I was desperate to play and the gaffer gave me the OK, but, looking back, I was probably worse than I realised and it effected me during the game. That took quite a bit out of me and it was right that I sat out the cup-tie.

“I’m feeling a lot better now and I’ll be OK for Falkirk. They are another team that will be new to me, but, after kicking around the leagues in England for so long, I am enjoying that. As I keep saying, I have been surprised in a positive way by how high the standard of football is up here and I’m expecting that to be the same with them.”

However good the opposition are, though, he knows a win would mean United will have kicked off their campaign in impressive fashion.

“Seven points from nine would be a very good start — much better than I know the boys managed last season, and it would be something to build on. We were disappointed not to win at St Mirren, but if we are winning our home games, that won’t be a bad point.”

Just as Cadamarteri admits to knowing little about the opposition, boss Craig Levein concedes that, with a change of manager and personnel, predicting what Falkirk’s approach will be is not easy.

“We’ve had them watched four times, but I don’t know Eddie May enough to second guess how he is going to set his team up, but it goes without saying it is one we are looking to take three points from.”

If United do win tomorrow, chairman Stephen Thompson will have more than just three points to toast. He and partner Angela are celebrating the birth of son Benjamin last weekend.

So far, though, his starts have been confined to midweek cup-ties and he would love that to change.

“Definitely, it would be good to get a start. That’s up to the manager and not me, but, hopefully, I can push myself in there,” said the 20-year-old.

“I was pleased with my performance at Forfar and it would be good if I stayed in the team for Airdrie, because I want to keep playing.”

That said, Forsyth appreciates that competition for places at Dens Park is so stiff right now that he has done well to be involved as much as he has since the season kick-off.

“The size of the squad is quite big and I am happy I have been involved in nearly all the games since the start of pre-season.

“I’m also enjoying playing further forward, because I started as a winger and it was only when I joined Dundee that I played at full-back.

“I do enjoy the attacking part of the game more, so I am pleased where the gaffer has been using me in games.”

And Forsyth is convinced a year of first-team football while on loan at Arbroath is what has strengthened his push for inclusion with the Dark Blues this term.

“It was definitely very good for me and improved me a lot. Playing games and getting experience against teams in the Second Division last year toughened me up a lot more than youth football would have.”

That’s the level tomorrow’s opponents expected to be playing at this season, but Forsyth refused to write off their chances because of that and knows to expect a difficult game at the Excelsior.

“They will look on being in the First Division as a bonus and will want to do well. They won’t make it easy for us and we know we’ll have to play well to get the points.”

He insists the players are also aware they must do better defensively and, despite that liking for going forward, know everyone in the side has a part to play.

“Everyone as a team takes responsibility for defending and, as a team, we are not happy with the goals we have been losing.

“We have been working hard on that side of things in training and when we are together we have been talking about it, because we are determined we’ll put it right.

“Going forward, we are looking a good team, so we are thinking about it and it is something we want sorted out.”

Manager Jocky Scott, meanwhile, is continuing his efforts to add defensive options to his squad, though bids to land Slovakian international Maros Klimpl and Luxembourg skipper Jeff Strasser have fallen through.

Klimpl, who starred for Motherwell while on loan last term, has quit Danish club FC Midtjylland to return home to Slovakia, while Strasser has been snapped up by Grasshoppers Zurich.

“What that means is I’m now making phone calls to follow up other possibilities, because I want to add to my defensive options before the transfer window closes,” said Jocky.

“Having said that, overall I am happy with the quality I have in my squad. We have been losing bad goals, but this is still a defence that was mean last season when it came to conceding. Individual errors have cost us and, starting at Airdrie tomorrow, I am looking for that to change.”

Although he rates former Aberdeen and Scotland star Russell Anderson highly, his recent injury record means Jocky is not pursuing his signature via a loan deal.

Having amassed just one point from their two SPL games so far, in the home divide against Motherwell, Saints are anxious to chalk up their first three points in the SPL.

And as he looked ahead, midfield man Liam Craig said, “There should be a great atmosphere, and I’m really looking forward to the match.

“After Saturday’s loss to Celtic, it was good to go and score six at Arbroath.

“The SPL is a step up for us after winning the First Division. You really do get punished for the mistakes you make in this league.

“We are keen to get going on Sunday. We worked hard to get here and intend to stay, so three points against Hearts would be very nice.

“Things have gone well for us so far. We had a good pre-season and we’ve started the season reasonably well.”

Liam spent a couple of years with Hearts as a teenager. After being with Saints in his early teenage years, Liam went to Tynecastle, but then Ipswich came calling and he signed on at Portman Road.

Liam then came back up north to Falkirk and is now enjoying life with the rejuvenated Saints.

“There’s no one at Hearts from my time there as all the boys I played alongside have moved on,” Liam added.

“I was a Hearts player then but I’m a St Johnstone player now and am looking for a victory on Sunday.”

A strain kept Murray Davidson out against Arbroath but he’s likely to return to the squad. Jody Morris was rested for the trip to Gayfield but will also be back in the pool.

Danny Grainger suffered a head knock on Wednesday but should be OK.

Having made five changes for the Arbroath win from the side which lost to Celtic, manager Derek McInnes faces a selection poser.

“The competition for places is good, a fine situation for a manager. We’ve taken confidence from our win at Arbroath and we’ll be ready for Hearts,” he said.