Dundee United manager Peter Houston feels penalty was correct

Dundee United manager Peter Houston refused to believe his side's penalty award in the 3-0 derby win over Dundee was controversial.

Referee Willie Collum awarded the spot-kick for a foul on United's Stuart Armstrong by Gary Irvine and John Daly converted to make it 2-0.

"I don't think it was controversial," Houston told BBC Scotland.

"Irvine wiped him out and, when you wipe people out in the penalty box, it's going to be a penalty."

Dundee's gripe was with the fact John Daly had been allowed to get a shot away immediately after the foul, which goalkeeper Rab Douglas saved.

So they felt advantage had been played.

It compounded an earlier decision by referee Collum when he failed to award a spot-kick for what seemed to be a clear handball by United's Brian McLean.

"It was difficult to see with the sunlight today," said Houston. "The ball came into the box, it might've hit Brian on the arm, but I don't know."

United triumphed thanks to goals from Keith Watson, Daly and Willo Flood, meaning they have won both the city derbies so far this season.

Houston had no qualms about it not being the easiest game on the eye, knowing it was the three points that mattered.

"If you ask me if we played scintillating football - no we didn't - but we won the match," he said.

"The most important thing for all these Arab supporters that are going home happy just now is that we won 3-0.

"I'm not really thinking about the quality side or the best passing side because we've played really well this season and lost matches.

"We've eradicated that over the last couple of weeks and we've got two clean sheets and eight goals, so hopefully that's us."