Dundee United in crisis after Hamilton loss, accepts manager Mixu Paatelainen

Boss Mixu Paatelainen admitted Dundee United were in a crisis after a 2-1 home defeat to Hamilton left them further adrift at the bottom of the Premiership.

Striker Billy Mckay's 29th-minute drive gave the Taysiders the interval lead but the hosts wasted several more chances, with Accies skipper Michael McGovern making some crucial saves before an Ali Crawford corner in the 70th minute was headed into his own net by United defender Gavin Gunning.

And in the 78th minute the home team were made to pay further for their profligacy when Hamilton defender Ziggy Gordon scored his first goal of the season to leave Dundee United seven points behind Motherwell, who drew 2-2 against Hearts.

The Tannadice side have won once in seven games since Paatelainen took over last month and, when asked if crisis was too strong a word to describe their situation, the former striker said: No, I don't think it is.

We are not winning matches - we are losing matches. Even draws are valuable, where we are in the league table.

But it looks as if as soon as the opponent scores one goal the bottom goes (from us) and we are an easy target after that.

Simply we need to have stronger characters and make sure everybody lifts each other and do things right as we did for most of the match.

When you play like that, you must win the game.

When you score an own goal - it was unbelievable, it was a striker's header into the bottom corner - after that one or two players got a bit shaky and confidence gets a hit.

At the same time we should have put this game to bed a long time before that.

We had chance after chance after chance and not just shots at goal - we had one against ones with the goalkeeper.

So our strikers must look in the mirror as well and realise they should have scored more goals.''

Gordon's winner gave Hamilton their first victory in seven games to take them into fifth place, and player-manager Martin Canning put it down to goalkeeper McGovern.

He said: I said that in the changing room. There are times when your forward players win you games, times when good midfielders like Ali Crawford win you games, and there are times you need your keeper to win the game, and today Michael won us the game.

He had two or three important saves at crucial moments but he has done that time and again for us and you come to expect it, albeit it is a high-level performance from him.

He has been different class since coming to the club.''