Source: Team_Talk
Daly throws his weight behind Houston
Dundee United striker Jon Daly has backed Peter Houston to continue in his role as manager after he led the Tayside club into Europe.[LNB] Daly netted a double in the 3-2 victory against Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday that guaranteed a top-four finish for United and took them 12 points above nearest challengers Hibernian with four games remaining.[LNB]Houston initially claimed he did not want the job permanently when he replaced Levein on a caretaker basis in December, but he is now keen to extend his contract beyond the summer after leading United on an 11-match unbeaten run.[LNB]Daly said: "That's the thing when a manager takes over for a set time, it's obviously to see how they do and if they are up to the job.[LNB]"He has shown he is more than capable of doing the job and he has taken it on. You can see all the boys really like him as the manager and they are working hard for him.[LNB]"I've got another two years left here myself so I would be delighted to play for him for another two years."[LNB]The Irishman put United ahead at either end of the first half with contrasting goals. The first owed much to Michael Fraser's slip with the goalkeeper then hitting his scrambled clearance off Daly and into the net.[LNB]"It's just one of those, when the ball goes to the goalkeeper you just anticipate that something is going to go wrong," Daly said.[LNB]"On that pitch, anything can happen. He took a bad touch and he kicked it off me and it has gone in. You can follow in all day and get nothing but that once is all it takes."[LNB]The second, after John Sutton had scored the first of his two headed goals for Motherwell, was a brilliant volley after Daly had peeled away from his marker to meet Craig Conway's corner.[LNB]"We've been doing that for a while, we've hit the post and had one cleared off the line so it was about time I scored from it," the 27-year-old said.[LNB]"That's the thing with Craig Conway, you know he's going to put in a great ball."[LNB]Motherwell have now lost four consecutive games after a 12-match unbeaten run took them into the European reckoning.[LNB]But manager Craig Brown is not despondent about their chances of leapfrogging Hibernian, who remain two points ahead.[LNB]"We were playing against possibly the best team in the country at the moment and I thought we were at least the equal of them," Brown said.[LNB]"I'm pleased with the spirit of the lads and the performance in the most part. Obviously I'm disappointed with the way we conceded the goals."
