Table-toppers Dundee United are odds-on favourites to make it four league wins in a row when they head to basement boys Brechin today.
While the Tangerines have stormed back to the top of the Championship thanks to recent successes over Dumbarton, St Mirren and Falkirk, former Tannadice favourite Darren Dods’ part-timers are still searching for a first league success this term.
With only two draws from their 12 games so far, just eight goals for and 25 against, it looks like being a case of lambs to the slaughter against a United side that was highly impressive as they dismantled Falkirk to go top last Sunday.
In-form United defender Mark Durnan does not see things that way and he’s not forgotten how unlucky Brechin were as they lost to a solitary Scott McDonald strike at Tannadice back in August.
“You have to earn every win you get in this league and this one is going to be no different,” he observed.
“Brechin came to Tannadice early in the season and made it tough for us. It took a late goal to win it and it was not an easy game.
“They sit in well and make it difficult for you to play and, being at home, they will want to do well.
“They’ll want to win as much as we do because they want to stay in this league and, to do that, they have to start getting victories.
“So it’s important we have prepared properly, just as well and we did for the Falkirk game on Sunday there, because that’s what will give us the best chance of another win.”
Even if he’s taking nothing for granted, Durnan doesn’t disguise the fact right now confidence in the United dressing-room is high.
Those three wins to turn things round, going top again and the impressive nature of last weekend’s success have everyone buzzing.
He said: “Sunday was good, it was enjoyable. We scored three goals, three really good goals, and it could have been a lot more to be honest.
“There was a clean sheet for the defence as well but I think it came from the front and you saw the intensity to get the ball back.
“The boys were in the right positions and hunted the ball really well.
“That was something we’d worked on all week in training.
“We wanted to keep the ball but there will be times when you lose it and then it was about making sure we got it back as quickly as possible.
“It was important we did that and the boys at the front did it well and we were able to get a clean sheet.
“That win has put us top of the league and that’s the position we want to be in.
“Now we’re there, we want to stay there.
“The teams below us have a game in hand but we have the points on the board and our aim has to be to keep winning matches.
“That means we are going to Brechin looking to maintain our momentum and get another win.”
On a personal level, few would argue the 24-year-old’s form this term has been the best of his time as a United player.
His aim is to keep that going, not least because he knows if he doesn’t he will be watching from the sidelines.
“I’ve been happy and you want to be playing in the team and helping out. Defensively I want to be as strong as I can and help make sure we don’t concede goals.
“That’s the main priority and, if you can then chip in with a few goals like I did the other week against St Mirren, so much the better.”
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