St Mirren 0-0 Dundee Utd

St Mirren and Dundee United will play again at Tannadice

A combination of poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping saved Dundee United in the Scottish Cup fifth round against St Mirren.

The Buddies had chances to progress to the last eight, but found United keeper Lukasz Zaluska in fine form.

Saints' Andy Dorman came close twice in the first half only to be denied by the Polish keeper.

And Zaluska kept his team in the tie with a spectacular save in the final minutes from Will Haining.

Interview: St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson

Interview: Dundee Utd manager Craig Levein

"We should've won the game. We created plenty of chances and their goalkeeper's made some fantastic saves," said St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson.

"There's plenty of positives for us, but also frustration because we never took our chances."

The Paisley side, buoyed by a run of three successive victories, had the better of the opening stages, with Dorman the first to threaten after nine minutes.

Good work by David Barron on the right teed up the Weshman, who made United keeper Zaluska parry with a side-footed effort.

In their first match after Barry Robson's transfer to Celtic, Craig Levein's men failed to make any in-roads and most of the action was in front of the United keeper.

Midfielder Dorman missed a gilt-edged chance to put Saints in the lead when the Welshman failed to connect from a few yards.

Zaluska was again called into action minutes before the break to turn a deflection from Mark Corcoran round the post.

United were quicker out of the blocks in the second period and Noel Hunt tested Chris Smith in the Saints goal within seconds of the restart.

But it was a rare forray, and Zaluska was was forced to race out of his goal to clear from the on-rushing Craig Dargo, after Sean Dillon's short pass-back.

Dargo then rifled a low shot past the post from a tight angle after a fortuitous break off Lee Wilkie.

Levein introduced Morgaro Gomis and Danny Swanson in an attempt to breathe some life into the away side.

But St Mirren looked more dangerous, with Dargo and David van Zanten both squandering chances.

And with seconds remaining Zaluska kept his side in the tie with a wonderful one-handed save from a net-bound Will Haining drive.

However, neither side were able to make the breakthrough, and it is United who will be the happier to take the replay to Tannadice.

"I thought it was a very tight game, but I think a draw was a fair result," said United boss Levein.

"I was disappointed in the way we played, and from my point of view I'm happy we're still in the Cup."

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St Mirren: Smith, van Zanten, Maxwell, Barron, Haining, Dorman, Mason (Murray 18), Potter, Dargo (Kean 84), Mehmet, Corcoran. Subs Not Used: Howard, Miranda, McGinn.

Booked: Corcoran, Haining.

Dundee Utd: Zaluska, Dillon, Wilkie, Dods, Grainger, Gomis (Swanson 58), Flood, Kerr, Buaben, Hunt (Odhiambo 82), Conway (De Vries 61). Subs Not Used: McLean, Kenneth.

Booked: Dods.

Att: 3,945

Ref: M McCurry