‘UNITED LACKED BELIEF,’ McNAMARA

The match completed a four-game series between the two sides, with Celtic coming out on top on three of those occasions.A 2-0 Scottish League Cup Final win over the Tannadice side at Hampden Park last Sunday came before a home 4-0 Scottish Cup replay win on Wednesday night to set up the league showdown yesterday

McNamara accepted such a stretch against the strongest team in Scotland proved “too much” for his side.

He said: “We played with nine men in the first game against Celtic, 10 in the final last week and Wednesday night took its toll physically.

“But this game was more of a mental thing, especially in the first-half. I thought we lacked belief.

“I could see a few of us feeling sorry for ourselves.

“I thought we were quite soft a number of times in the first-half, but the second was better.”

On Gary Mackay-Steven’s 25-yard drive which set the home side on their way to victory, McNamara said: “It was a good strike, but we should have been out a bit quicker.

“It came a through a few bodies and I don’t think our keeper Radoslaw Cierzniak had any chance.

“Gary has that quality, we all know that but I was disappointed with the other two goals we lost.”