League form eluding Dundee United and Hibernian

Dundee United can blow the race for automatic promotion from the Championship wide open by beating Hibs on Friday.

But Ray McKinnon’s Tangerines also know defeat will almost certainly leave them among the also-rans battling for a route to the Premiership via the play-offs.

And the outcome under the Friday night lights is likely to hinge on which side can rekindle the league form that’s been less than impressive recently.

United need to get back winning if they are to challenge for top spot from now to the end of the campaign.

Seven league outings since Hogmanay have produced one victory — when a Raith Rovers side that was at its lowest ebb visited Tannadice in early February.

There was a morale-boosting Challenge Cup semi-final win at Queen of the South later in the month but that couldn’t hide the fact their form of late has been nowhere near good enough to maintain a serious promotion challenge.

With no game at the weekend, they were dislodged from second spot in the table via Falkirk’s 2-0 win at Queens.

United only trail the Bairns by a point and have two games in hand but this is a time of the season when managers would always take points in the bag over games still to be played.

And even if his men can return to the pre-Christmas winning form that took them to the top of the Championship, McKinnon knows his tight squad will be severely tested by a hectic schedule over the next month.

If, starting with this clash, they can produce another winning run, they will be putting huge pressure on a Hibs side that’s taken on something of a Jekyll and Hyde nature over the past month or so.

Having started the year by crushing United at Easter Road, Neil Lennon’s Hibees looked likely to run away with promotion, and a perfect January that also saw wins at Dumbarton and Queen of the South back that up.

Over the past month, however, they’ve reserved top form for their defence of the Scottish Cup, drawing away at Edinburgh rivals Hearts before hammering them in the replay and then disposing of Ayr United in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

The league displays have not been anything like as impressive and they’ve failed to record a victory in any of their last four outings.

They were held at home by Ayr, had to battle back to salvage a point at Raith, blew a 2-0 lead to only take a point from Dunfermline and then last midweek were well beaten by a rejuvenated St Mirren.

And starting on Friday night, Hibs face arguably their most testing period of the Championship season.

Their next three league games are all at Easter Road and that’s a bonus.

But after lowly Dumbarton’s visit on Saturday week, it’s Morton and Falkirk who come calling.

That means failure to get back to winning ways in the league will put pressure on Hibs.

With a game in hand on their big rivals, the Tangerines know victory in this one will give them the chance to close the gap at the top to a single point before Hibs are in action again.

That’s a huge carrot for McKinnon and his team but also, given their recent troubles, a big ask.

Next week’s game in hand is at St Mirren, also cup final opponents later this month.

Two victories over the Buddies so far has to boost confidence but both were hard-fought.

Now that Buddies gaffer Jack Ross has found his feet, they look the team that was being tipped as outside candidates for promotion at the start of the season.