Last updated on .From the section Scottish Championship

Louis Appere put United ahead in Greenock

Dundee United moved 10 points clear in the Scottish Championship after beating Greenock Morton to record a seventh consecutive win.

Louis Appere and Lawrence Shankland both finished smartly from 10 yards in the first half - the latter after John Sutton's scrambled leveller.

It was the first United had conceded to an opposition player since mid-October.

But Morton could not fashion a second, despite repeatedly troubling United from-set plays.

Morton's defeat, just their second at home this term, leaves David Hopkin's side eighth - two points off the bottom.

Greenock Morton manager David Hopkin: "We gave a poor goal away from a set-play and we knew it was going to be difficult, but we got back into the game with a great header from John Sutton and then we switch off again for their second.

"Credit to the players, in the second half, there was only one team that looked like they were going to score.

"We have only been in the job six months now and we've had a lot to contend with. It's no secret that the club wanted to reduce the budget significantly and we had to go down a different route and it's going to take time - I just hope everybody's patient with it because I think there were six or seven of our players tonight under the age of 21."

Dundee United head coach Robbie Neilson: "Morton have picked up 16 points this season and 16 have been at home, with only one defeat, so we knew it was going to be one of the hardest venues to come to.

"We stood up to the game - and it was a physical game as we knew it would be - and got the three points.

"It was a big result for us, but there's still a long way to go."