Manager Tommy Wright asked for a reaction from the players after the Dundela debacle and he got it: "It was a day for rolling up your sleeves and standing up and being counted and that's what they did.

"I believe they had a meeting in the week and the little leaks I'm getting is that it went very well and they agreed that they had to dso something themselves and I think they did that today."

The Blues - hoping for a fourth consecutive league victory - started brightly and might well have taken an early lead had Jamie Mulgrew not miskicked an effort created after he taken the ball past defender Aaron Callaghan.

Later in the half a Stephen Douglas cross reached Winkie Murphy at the back post. He in turn nodded in on for Peter Thompson only for Nigel Boyd to clear the danger while, on 38 minutes, Darren Murphy swept the ball off the line after Thomas Stewart returned the ball after a weak Paul Murphy clearance.

United's only real effort of note in a somewhat disjointed first half was a 44th minute Paul Brown header but this adequately dealt with by Alan Mannus.

After the break Tim Mouncey twice came close with successive headers, the first was blocked by 'keeper Murphy with the second - from a Mulgrew cross - drifting just wide.

It wasn't all one way traffic, though. The Sky Blues did look dangerous on the break but lacked that bite in front of goal although Austin Friel could surely have done some damage when he bore down on goal moments after coming on midway through the half only for Winkie Murphy to make a crucial clearance.