It was relieved Dundee United after they leapfrogged Livingston at the foot of the table with a deserved, if nervous victory over the West Lothian outfit. The United fans had to endure a painful game in which their team created chances but could not find the net until 12 minutes from time.
After their midweek cup success over Hibs, manager Ian McCall recognised that his team were fortunate in victory by making five changes, although two were enforced suspensions following last week's controversial red cards for Mark Wilson and Chis Innes. Livvie, meanwhile, were still licking their wounds after their cup thrashing to Motherwell with their manager Alan Preston, reacting by making four changes.
Barry Robson almost set the ground alight in the eighth minute after a dull opening. James Grady's knockdown was cleverly knocked on by Jim McIntyre into the path of the onrushing Robson. Unfortunately being a one-footed player, the move ended in a feeble right-foot effort with only the keeper to beat.
Struggling on the right wing, the midfielder was swapped to the left, and there he created the next opening in the 20th minute. Weaving past two players after good link-up play with Grady, he curled over a tantalising cross which McIntyre narrowly headed over.
With the Terrors building up pressure and appearing the more likelier to score, Grady was only a hair's breadth away in the 24th minute as he narrowly missed latching on to Robson's low cross. Then two minutes later, Grady reciprocated the chance but Roddy McKenzie did well to hold Robson's powerful drive.
Ten minutes later, with the play continuing to be dominantly one way, McIntyre was alert to McKenzie's positioning and hit a wonderful 25-yard volley which cannoned off the face of the bar much to the keeper's relief.
With the referee ready to blow for a grateful half-time break, Livvie had their only chance of the half when ex-Tangerine Derek Lilley headed a corner on to the outside of the post.
After the break the visitors enjoyed their best move of the game when Lilley's header was brilliantly clawed back off the line by Paul Jarvie. Then the ball zipped to the other end where, amazingly, McIntrye fired the ball over the bar from only four yards.
But it was the Terrors who continued to be the more aggressive in attack with some desperate defending from Livvie preventing the opener. That was until the 78th minute when they finally cracked. Robson's inswinging corner was met by a queue of United players, and it was David McCracken who powered in the header from three yards, much to the relief of under-pressure Ian McCall.