Source: Team_Talk
Houston wants focus from Goodwillie
Peter Houston says David Goodwillie will reap the rewards of focusing on football after he ended a troubled week with the winner at Hamilton.[LNB] The 21-year-old was dropped to the bench after spending more than 24 hours in the police cells following his midweek arrest.[LNB]But Goodwillie went some way to appeasing his manager by calmly slotting home a 76th-minute winner to move his side up to fourth in the SPL.[LNB]The Scotland Under-21 striker was released without charge on Thursday after being arrested over an alleged disturbance in Glasgow city centre in the early hours of Wednesday morning.[LNB]Houston said: "He has talent. He is as good as anyone in the league as far as I'm concerned. The world is his oyster if he starts to concentrate solely on football.[LNB]"He has got to screw on the head and try to take on board what I and previous managers have tried to tell him. We hope the penny drops.[LNB]"What I can make sure of is that it becomes very, very difficult for him to go out on a Tuesday night."[LNB]Houston's team selection was heavily affected by midweek events. Barry Douglas, who was listed by United as one of four players they understood to have been involved in the incident, was also dropped to the bench. Another, Danny Swanson, was missing from the squad after suffering facial injuries.[LNB]Houston felt "let down" by his players following the incident, which led to youth team player Scott Allan being charged with assault to severe injury when he appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday alongside two other men.[LNB]Houston said: "I have been asked if it was a disciplinary thing him (Goodwillie) not playing.[LNB]"I believe players should prepare properly from Monday to Friday. Unfortunately we had four young players who didn't prepare properly.[LNB]"They have been disciplined and they will be disciplined more on Monday or Tuesday, financially by the chairman.[LNB]"I have learned a lot from this week and hopefully they will too after I spoke to them individually."[LNB]However, Houston had no intention of harming the team further by leaving Goodwillie on the bench for the entire match.[LNB]He brought him on in the 69th minute with Jon Daly, who has been experiencing a tight hamstring. United had the better of the game up to that point but they were struggling to create clear-cut chances or test Tomas Cerny when they did carve out an opening.[LNB]"I needed him," Houston said. "I'm not going to cut my own throat by not playing a guy like David Goodwillie.[LNB]"He didn't prepare for the game properly by not being in training. But I needed him when Danny Cadamarteri got a knock and Johnny Russell started to tire after playing really well for 70 minutes.[LNB]"I'm not going to hold him back - the biggest thing is that United get three points. I always had the intention to change the strikers if we hadn't scored."[LNB]Houston added: "I'm over the moon with the performance of the players after a difficult week."[LNB]Hamilton manager Billy Reid was disappointed with his side's display, and the game in general, but he felt aggrieved at a first-minute decision which came as Dougie Imrie headed home.[LNB]Marco Paixao had slid in to rob Keith Watson as the United right-back tried to shepherd the ball behind but assistant referee Lawrence Kerrigan flagged for a goal kick as the Portuguese forward crossed for Imrie.[LNB]Reid said: "We scored a goal in the first minute and it probably should have stood. "I'm not getting involved, the linesman has called it and made the wrong decision as far as I'm concerned.[LNB]"I've seen it (on TV). And even the guy lying on the ground has not claimed the ball is out.[LNB]"He has made a mistake from a long way off, nothing to do with the referee (Calum Murray). We will accept it, sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it doesn't."[LNB]
