If Ryan Dow’s winning goal against St Johnstone turns out to be the difference between Premiership relegation and survival for Dundee United it will make up for his Scottish Cup heartbreak, according to the Tannadice frontman.
The 24-year-old’s scruffy first half strike that squirmed out of the grasp of Perth keeper Alan Mannus secured a precious Tayside derby win and lifted the Tangerines within five points of Kilmarnock with a game in hand.
“It was a bit of luck,” Dow admitted.
“I have had a few chances in my time against St Johnstone where luck has not been on my side.
“Just look back to the cup final when I hit the post and my shot didn’t go in. So I’ll take this.
“I don’t actually know what happened. I saw the ball get to him and then sort of slip under him.
“I thought he was going to get it and I was running away thinking: ‘I should have scored’.
“Then it just kept going, and it has gone in.
“Have I scored a more important goal? Probably not.
“We’ll see at the end of the season how important it is.
“But what it has done is made this game against Partick (tomorrow night) even bigger now.”
And does it make up for the cup final near miss?
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that one,” he said.
“But if we stayed up at the end of the season by a couple of points then yes!
“We’ll just need to see how important this victory is.”