DUNDEE UNITED have quite the reputation for producing young talent. In recent years, Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Gauld have been the standouts, and it appears they may have another academy graduate who is destined for big things.
Logan Chalmers shone as United beat St Mirren 2-1 in a sun-kissed Dundee on Saturday. The forward was skilful in possession and the main danger for the home side on a day they created plenty of chances and were more than deserving of their victory. After the game, United manager Micky Mellon hailed his performance, saying you’d be hard pushed to find a better individual performance from a young Scottish player that weekend.
And Chalmers, who has been given chances in the first team by Mellon that weren’t available last season, was delighted to hear of his manager’s praise after the game. He said: “Obviously that’s good to hear, I’ll keep taking it game by game and luckily the gaffer has faith to keep playing me. He’s told me to work hard first and foremost and my quality will come through and I though today, personally, was the best I’ve played.”
Chalmers was in and out of the United squad under Robbie Neilson last year but has grasped his chance this season. Although, the 20-year-old hadn’t anticipated being thrust into the action this consistently so early in the season.
When asked if he’d expected so many minutes, he said: “Probably not, with not playing too much last season and going out on loan. But I knew with the manager coming in if I just had to hit the ground running and work hard from the start. He’s got faith not just in me but in the number of young boys that have played a part this season.
“The manager spoke to me a few times and just said, I know your quality, keep working hard, keep showing me why I should play you. I came on the first game, trained hard and got my first start the next week and have pretty much kept myself in the team.”
Despite the visitors having the best of the chances in the first half, United would take the lead before the break. The returning Lawrence Shankland producing a sublime volley on the half turn which sailed over the diving Bobby Zlamal to open his Premiership account.
And soon after the break Mellon’s men doubled their advantage. Buoyed by their earlier goal, they hit the post through Nicky Clark before Adrian Sprole added the hosts’ second. He capitalised on a loose ball in the box after Zlamal had denied Ian Harkes and Shankland in quick succession.
St Mirren were given a mountain to climb when Richard Tait was shown a straight red card on the hour mark for a reckless lunge on Chalmers. Jim Goodwin admitted after the match the red mist had descended on the experienced defender who had struggled to cope with the impressive youngster.
“There was probably a bit of frustration that he couldn’t really get the ball of me,” said a confident Chalmers. “It was a bad challenge, definitely a red.”
The visitors would get a goal back soon after the red card through Dylan Connolly, and they looked a better team with 10 men than they had with their full compliment. But there was to be no equaliser for Goodwin’s men who slipped behind United in the table.
It was Zlamal’s last game for the club, after his emergency loan deal was struck last week to aid St Mirren’s goalkeeper crisis. And despite a shaky start to his brief spell with the Buddies, the Czech goalkeeper was on hand to keep the score down as Dundee United bossed proceedings at the start of the second half.
After the game Zlamal said: “Personally I am very happy that St Mirren gave me this opportunity to play these games, I enjoyed it but it is a pity we didn’t get any points. But the rest was brilliant.
“The first game was very strange; I came to the match in jeans and played straight away. But after that I was training, speaking to the gaffer and the goalkeeper coach and I was very delighted that I was part of St Mirren for one week."
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