Midfielder Ryan Dow hopes fortunes improve for himself and Dundee United

Last season ended for Dow after United's four-match showdown with Celtic in March and he only made four starts in the rest of 2015 as he battled a pelvic problem.

But the midfielder believes he is over the worst of the condition and his return to the starting line-up for the games against Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle, along with the fit-again Paul Paton, coincided with United's first back-to-back wins for a year.

Dow has no problems about facing Hamilton on their artificial surface at New Dougla s Park on Saturday as the Ladbrokes Premiership side seek a hat-trick of victories, which would cut their 11-point deficit.

The 24-year-old said: "It's been really frustrating. The last 12 months have been an absolute nightmare.

"I tried to come back earlier on in the season and broke down again so hopefully this time I can stay fit and help the team avoid relegation."

After being asked to explain his injury problems, the creative player said: "I don't even know where to start. It's called osteitis pubis.

"I had an operation last April, a release on the groin and a double sports hernia. That didn't really seem to work. I had another three injections over that area.

"The area connects to a lot of different things, to your groins, so it's a nightmare for a footballer. A lot of players have it and don't really know how to get rid of it.

"That was the frustrating thing, if you do your hamstring you get told you are out for six weeks and you have got a comeback date.

"But I was basically coming in every day and seeing how it was feeling. Some days it would feel better and then the next day I would pull up really sore.

"You just need to play it by ear and that was the difficult part. I've done loads of stuff and I need to do a daily exercise programme before and after training and hopefully that keeps it away.

"The physios are hoping that by the time the summer comes and we get another wee break, that it will make it completely go away.

"Most of the time I am pain free. Obviously it's only been a couple of games so there is a worry it might come back, but I'm sure that's it."

United's desperate form in 2015 only increased his exasperation.

"There were a few boys there, Paul Paton, Callum Morris, so it wasn't as if I was on my own," he said. "So it was frustrating for a lot of us and when we're not picking up results it was hard."

The William Hill Scottish Cup win over Thistle has given United the chance to build up some momentum ahead of games against Hamilton and Motherwell after 12 months since another cup win, against Stranraer, proved to be their final consecutive victory of 2015.

"It's not a good stat to have," Dow said. "I don't even know if a lot of the boys actually knew before it came out so it's not as if it was playing on our minds. But it's come out now so we just have to make it three wins in a row."

Dow's future beyond the end of this season is as uncertain as his team's and the Dundee-born player is focused on the here and now.

"My contract is up at the end of the summer," he said. "We've not really discussed anything now. I don't think it's the right time with what's going on and the manager would understand that. We are just concentrating on picking up wins."