United manager Alex Smith, meanwhile, hopes to be singing a different tune tomorrow night. After spending a couple of day's at wind swept Seamill, he and the players seem to be in an upbeat mood. Smith readily admits his pronouncements on United’s recent matches have been as decidedly repetitive in their content as the outcome of the fixtures in question. But he is becoming increasingly optimistic that is about to change. "Every week I seem to be asking myself, ‘Is this the week we get a result?" admitted Smith.

"And even after games I am sounding like a broken record, saying the same thing time after time. But I do believe that we are increasingly looking like a team that could win. "I am convinced that as we get closer to the team that I want, which we are, we are closing on that first victory."

United will almost certainly be without Nick Dasovic’s international colleague Jason de Vos, who missed Canada’s midweek match because of a knee ligament problem. And it will be later today, when he returns to Scotland, before United find out the extent of the damage. "I don’t think I’d have played Jason even if he were fit because as I have said before a tiring trip across the Atlantic is no preparation for a game of football," said Smith. "But he is at the very least doubtful in any case owing to this injury."

There is also a question mark against the availability of Jean Licina, who has a slight groin problem, but Jim Lauchlan will return to the side following suspension and Jamie Fullarton will make his first start. ©The Courier