Dundee United boss Ray McKinnon has paid tribute to Paul Dixon after the player’s remarkable return from injury last weekend.
The 29-year-old defender had not featured for the Tangerines since injuring his knee in Inverness in a League Cup tie back on July 23.
Dixon required surgery to cure the problem but then made a quicker-than-expected recovery to be able to make his comeback ahead of schedule.
The player could have been forgiven for edging his way back slowly but instead he was at his marauding best down the left flank against the Blue Toon.
And with Lewis Toshney doing the same on the right and Dixon’s able deputy teenager Jamie Robson on the bench, McKinnon is delighted with the strength at his disposal in the full-back area.
The manager said: “How fit did Dicker (Dixon) look? He was up and down that line all day and must have got to the byline 20 times putting crosses in.
“He was unbelievable especially after being out for four or five weeks.
“When Dicker is in that sort of form, it is great and we also know we have young Jamie Robson ready to come in.
“Tosher does the same as Dicker on the other side and the pair of them have to be really, really fit.
“Tosher missed a bit of pre-season with a broken nose but those two will just get better and better.”
The Peterhead game had to be settled after extra-time with the League One side twice equalising through the prolific Rory McAllister during the regulation 90 minutes.
While acknowledging the quality of the striker’s finishing, the Tannadice manager was less than impressed by his side giving away the ball in the build-up to both goals and he is looking for his players to cut out the errors.
He said: “At the two goals, we gave the ball away.
“They were great finishes but we just need to concentrate a bit better when we are in possession of the ball.
“We hurt ourselves on Saturday giving it away cheaply.
“So if we can eradicate that, we will eradicate the goals we are losing.”
