Ian Murray insists he is happy with ‘the week’s work’, despite Raith Rovers missing the chance to climb to the summit of the Championship.
After Dundee United’s surprise defeat to Dunfermline on Friday night, the Stark’s Park side knew they would have gone top of the table with a victory at Hampden.
But they were held to a goalless stalemate by Queen’s Park and instead remain behind the Tangerines on goal difference.
Murray, however, is adamant there was no sense of irritation at full-time after seeing his side take a point following victories over Dunfermline and Partick Thistle in the space of a week.
He said: “There’s no frustration. I’m really happy with the week’s work.
“We’ve pegged back four points on Dundee United this week.
“We stood last week after a great derby and the lead was four points. Now we stand at the end of the week, with two away games in there and three clean sheets.
“We would have loved to have won the game, of course we would. But this is hard, it’s a difficult place and Queen’s are a good side.
“I thought we deserved to win the game overall but, hey-ho, that’s football.
Murray: ‘A long way to go’
“But I’ve got no complaints with the week’s work and the work-rate of the players. On another day we win that game.
Murray added: “Honestly, even if we had been two points ahead, there’s so much football still to be played.
“There’s a long, long way to go and there’s going to be more games like this for Dundee United and ourselves this season, I’m pretty sure of that.
“So, to be where we are is fantastic.
“That’s clean sheets from four out of the last five games and our defence has been criticised at times.
“We’ve done brilliant, the whole team. The work-rate is through the roof at the moment and we don’t look like we’re flagging.
“So, I’m really, really happy.”
Raith came close to clinching another late victory but were denied by two fantastic saves from Calum Ferrie.
The Queen’s Park keeper kept out goal-bound efforts from Scott McGill and Sam Stanton as time ticked away.
Murray commented: “The keeper made two really good saves. He’s a good goalie, I’ve watched him a lot and he’s improved every year.
Murray: ‘Raith were team in the ascendancy’
“It was an audacious effort from Sam, that’s for sure, and if it goes in then great.
“But it was a great, great save.
“I thought in the second-half in particular we were the team in the ascendancy and looking to try to win it.
“Overall, though, the boys gave everything and I’ve got no complaints at all.”
The one criticism Murray did have was with referee Kevin Clancy’s failure to award his side a penalty early in the second-half.
Zak Rudden attempted to seize on a looping loose ball that eventually bounced inside the home box, where he appeared to be hauled down.
But Clancy then blew for a foul by Rudden.
Murray said: “I thought Zak’s was a penalty. The referee has blown for a foul against Zak, which was very, very harsh.
“It was a penalty all day long, but we didn’t get it.
“I’m really disappointed with that decision, but that’s football. It would have changed the game, that’s for sure.”
