Dundee United 2-2 Dundee: Thrilling city derby ends all square

Dundee's Charlie Adam scores to make it 2-2

Dundee United sealed a top-six Scottish Premiership spot for the first time since 2014-15 - but head coach Thomas Courts was "bitterly disappointed and frustrated" after they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw the derby with Dundee.

Nicky Clark and Charlie Mulgrew had the hosts cruising before Danny Mullen and Charlie Adam struck in a three-minute spell after the break.

Bottom club Dundee's fightback trimmed the deficit on St Johnstone to five points with five games to play, while United remain fourth.

"When you go two goals up at home you build up a bit of momentum, and it only seemed like there was going to be one winner once we got the second goal," Courts said.

"But, for whatever reason, the team retreated a little bit. Not just defensively but the whole team and that forced us into five or 10 minutes of being quite passive by which time Dundee had got back onto level terms.

"We had two of the best chances after that but I am still bitterly disappointed."

• Reaction & as it happened

The derby started in typically frenetic fashion and United were quickly on the front foot against their relegation-haunted rivals.

Tony Watt pressed the Dundee defence well and Liam Smith's cross was inches too high for Ilmari Niskanen to nod into the vacant net.

It was not long before United got the opener - and it was a nightmare for Dundee goalkeeper Ian Lawlor. He rushed out to the edge of his box in attempting to reach a lofted pass and got nowhere near the ball. Ross Graham flicked on and Clark sent a diving header into the empty net.

Dundee responded well and grew into the game. A driven ball found Mullen, who inexplicably failed to convert from a yard out, albeit he had been flagged offside.

There were plenty of flashpoints too. Ryan Edwards and Paul McGowan shared some choice words after a tackle turned into a wrestling match, and Watt and Adam clashed after the United forward went down dramatically after a fair but meaty challenge.

Ten minutes into the second half United doubled their lead as Mulgrew whipped a sensational free-kick into the top corner.

Their two-goal advantage was short-lived as Dundee hit back in stunning style. First, Mullen netted a header after Benjamin Siegrist flapped at the initial cross, presenting the Dundee striker with an empty net.

Adam then unleashed a 25-yard thunderbolt to equalise, appearing to wrong-foot Siegrist with the amount of swerve he put on it.

United still had a glut of chances to find a winner, with Marc McNulty missing from close range, Smith failing to connect with a fizzed cross, and Dylan Levitt's strike whistling past the post.

Niall McGinn nearly had the last word for Dundee, though, as he hit the top of the bar with a looping first-time effort from 20 yards.

Man of the match - Charlie Adam

A real captain's performance to drag his side back into the contest after heads could have easily dropped. His goal was a sensational strike.

What did we learn?

Dundee United's top-six aspirations were all but assured before kick-off but they will be disappointed to have stumbled over the line.

With the amount of chances the home side had, particularly after the score went to 2-2, they should have consigned their rivals to defeat.

Dundee have won just one of their last 18 league matches and survival looks an increasingly tall order. Raising your levels for a derby is one thing, but while they staged an admirable fightback it is wins they need at this stage of the season.

What they said

Dundee United head coach Thomas Courts: "Once the dust settles, we'll try and take the positives from the full season, which has been a really challenging season with so many teams competing on different fronts.

"To know that we've got this club back into the top six is a real moment to be proud of."

Dundee manager Mark McGhee: "The players can be proud of themselves. To fight back and come out with a draw, which is going to be a really valuable point going into the last five games, was fantastic.

"We go in [to the post-split fixtures] with some amount of optimism that our performances give us some hope and we go in knowing that we're going in fighting and that's the main thing."

What's next?

Both teams now await the post-split fixtures to be released this week to discover their schedule for the final five games of the season.