Finding the net is United's goal

Shot-shy Dundee United haven't managed to find the net in the league since skipper Jon Daly scored in their 3-1 defeat at Kilmarnock in late August.

That has in turn witnessed the Taysiders slipping down the table and finding themselves currently only four points ahead of bottom club and city rivals Dundee.

Manager Peter Houston puts their recent drought down to a number of contributory factors and specifically losses of confidence and form, plus injuries to their leading players.

"We have not been scoring goals but there are reasons behind that," Houston told the Dundee Courier. "Johnny Russell started brilliantly against Hibs and Dundee but has dipped in form.

"Jon Daly has also been injured and those two are where the majority of our goals come from," he continued. "We could also argue that having Gary Mackay-Steven out has hurt us because he's set up plenty of goals for us.

"So when you have Johnny dipping in form — as young players do — and take out our most creative player, then you're always going to find goals hard to come by."

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