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Dundee United ended a run of 10 games without a win as Chris Erskine's goal denied Hamilton Academical a top-six finish in the Scottish Premiership.

Against the run of play, Erskine ended a sweeping counter-attack move to find the back of the net.

But Radoslaw Cierzniak emerged as the real hero with a string of saves to deny the visitors.

It was harsh on suspended Accies player-manager Martin Canning, who is without a win from 13 games in charge.

And Hamilton, promoted at the end of last season, go into the league's split a point short of sixth-place Dundee, who have a game in hand.

With Inverness drawing with Celtic earlier in the day, the Tannadice side narrow the gap on John Hughes' men to six points with a game still in hand in the race for third place and Europa League qualification.

United had suffered defeat at the hands of city rivals Dundee for the first time in over 10 years in midweek and manager Jackie McNamara responded with five changes, starting with new partnerships in central defence and midfield.

Nerves were apparent and were summed up by Cierzniak sending the ball straight into the dugout.

Blair Spittal tried to ignite a spark in his side with a weaving run past two players into the box before Ziggy Gordon's challenge denied him.

At the other end Nigel Hasselbaink should have headed in the rebound after his initial shot had been cleared off the line.

Nadir Ciftci tested Hamilton goalkeeper McGovern as a largely quiet first half drew to a close.

Stephen Hendrie poked the ball off the far post with the outside of the right boot as Hamilton started the second period in dominant fashion.

Jason Scotland replaced Hasselbaink, and the former United man made his presence felt.

First, he drove down the right, nipped into the box and cut back for Darian MacKinnon, who was incensed when his goal-bound shot hit the arm of a defender and no penalty was awarded by referee Andrew Dallas.

Louis Longridge then met the ball from close range, but Cierzniak somehow kept it out.

The Polish goalkeeper was the fall guy in midweek when he let Greg Stewart's shot slip between his legs for Dundee's opening goal, but he more than made up for it with some fine saves in quick succession.

He tipped Ali Crawford's free-kick on to a post before denying the midfielder again.

And, against the run of play, United broke the deadlock as Aidan Connolly picked out Erskine, who drove past McGovern.

Spittal's replacement Mario Bilate should have made it 2-0 but contrived to stab the ball wide from Ciftci's low cross in stoppage time.