Jim Goodwin hailed the “magic” of Chris Mochrie after the youngster notched a dramatic winner against Dunfermline.
The gifted midfielder, who won the League One title during a successful loan spell with the Pars last term, climbed from the bench to slam home his second goal of the season and secure a 2-1 triumph.
It was Mochrie’s second last-gasp intervention of the campaign, having also been the match-winner at Inverness.
“Chris has got that quality and the Dunfermline fans will be disappointed, I’m sure, that he’s come back to bite them,” said Goodwin.
“He made the positive impact you want as a manager. Sometimes subs pay off, and sometimes they don’t, but Chris took his goal really well. I am just delighted we could come up with that bit of magic to win the game.
“Chris has real quality and what I like about him is that he always wants to run at the opposition and takes people on centrally. He has scored some big goals, has trained really well and looked strong tonight. And he got his rewards.”
Character shines through
United’s dramatic winner came after Owen Moffat had cancelled out Kai Fotheringham’s opener, with the Pars man benefitting from an untimely slip from Declan Gallagher.
Dunfermline 1-1 Dundee United
⚽️ Owen Moffat's reward for scoring is to be substituted, but with his final touch on the pitch he levels for the home side.
📺 Watch on BBC Scotland#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/0tTGPEMLHM
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) November 10, 2023
“There’s nothing Deccy can do about the goal,” added Goodwin. “It’s not even a mistake; it’s a slip. The pitch was like that. It was a bit heavy.
“It’s good that it didn’t derail us and we didn’t allow the heads to go down. We kept going until the very end and that is typical of the group of players I have here. They have shown that in so many games this season.”
Handle the pressure
The result sees United move seven points clear of Raith Rovers at the summit of the Championship, albeit the Kirkcaldy club have two games in hand.
Goodwin added: “Games can’t come quick enough for the players and it was another good win. We are 17 games unbeaten now, we are scoring a lot of goals and aren’t conceding many.
“But we can’t get carried away and we need to handle the pressure that comes.”
Conversation