First Team
Match Report | Rangers 1-1 Dundee United
23rd November 2024
The Dundee United Youth team were in action at Tannadice tonight in the SFA Youth Cup against St Johnstone. The side fielded by Tony Docherty was along similar lines to recent weeks in a 3-5 2 formation but one notable absentee was Andy Hunter who was suspended for this match.
United posted early notice of intention and Jarvis was involved but Saints keeper Shaw cut out his tempting cross in the first minute. United went ahead in three minutes and after Conway had his shot blocked, McDonald squeezed a shot in from tight angle. Bowers of St Johnstone fired well wide in response and Conway was in the thick of it again clipping a shot just wide. With nine minutes gone, the visitors hit the bar twice in the space of a minute, first with a Glen header from a cross and then from Malone who got his head to a well-flighted free kick. After a good flowing move a minute after, Bell was unlucky not to control the ball in the box and a good chance was lost.
On nineteen minutes, a Callaghan shot was saved by Shaw after good work by Conway and two minutes later, a Robertson effort was cleared off the line and in the scramble that followed Saints blocked three attempts by United players with the ball finally ending up in the keeper's arms. The young Tangerines were doing most of the attacking and a Conway chip shot was plucked from the air by Shaw who then denied Callaghan with a double save from the wing-back. As the first period neared its end United were making good progress in the St Johnstone half without finding the final ball required.
The second half opened with St Johnstone out of luck again when McCann could only parry a shot from McCallum who then hit the rebound off the base of the post. At the other end, Jarvis deserved better luck for his all round effort on the night but his shot from twenty-five yards cannoned off the bar five minutes into the second period. Bell worked a good ball to Robertson but the latter fired just wide from twenty yards and just short of the hour mark Robertson had a volley tipped over by the keeper. A second goal was sure to come and it was Anderson who got it when he bulleted a header from six yards from a Jarvis corner kick. Craig (pictured) got in on the act next but his effort from twenty-five yards was deflected over the top. St Johnstone were not entirely out of it but when they did get forward, Anderson Abbot and Molloy were there to break up the moves.
Anderson was in action at both ends when he had a headed effort cleared off the line in 66 minutes and then a minute later he was heading clear a Bower cross in his own box. Bell was not far away with a shot from distance and a Jarvis cross caused panic in the Saints box but it was eventually cleared. Easton, who came on as a sub late in the half, found Anderson in the box but the knock-on from the central defender was played out for a goal kick. Bell found Conway and he showed a deft touch in the box to leave a defender mesmerised to make room for a shot but the keeper saved low. In the final minute Jarvis took a free kick and his shot through a gap in the wall was held by Shaw. Then, Bell was brought down in the box and it looked a stonewall penalty but the referee waved play on. Justice was served however, when Robertson took a cut-back and fired in a low drive from twenty-five yards for a final score line of 3-0 to the young Tangerines.
After the match Tony Docherty was obviously pleased with the outcome and he said, "The performance tonight was excellent and the boys passed the ball very well. As a result we created a number of chances and we could have scored more than the three. I was also delighted that we kept a clean sheet thanks to the efforts of our keeper and the back three. I was particularly happy with the performance of Steven Craig but the whole team played well giving a good all-round performance and fully deserving the win."
United : McCann, Callaghan , Jarvis, Abbot, Anderson, Molloy, Robertson, Craig, Conway, Bell, McDonald .
Subs : Band, Gardiner, Easton, Andrew, Smith.
St Johnstone : Shaw, Baxter, McKenzie, Moon, Nicholl, Fraser, Bowers, Cannon Glen McCallum, Malone.
Subs : Arnott, R Campbell, C Campbell, Dyer, Anton
United posted early notice of intention and Jarvis was involved but Saints keeper Shaw cut out his tempting cross in the first minute. United went ahead in three minutes and after Conway had his shot blocked, McDonald squeezed a shot in from tight angle. Bowers of St Johnstone fired well wide in response and Conway was in the thick of it again clipping a shot just wide. With nine minutes gone, the visitors hit the bar twice in the space of a minute, first with a Glen header from a cross and then from Malone who got his head to a well-flighted free kick. After a good flowing move a minute after, Bell was unlucky not to control the ball in the box and a good chance was lost.
On nineteen minutes, a Callaghan shot was saved by Shaw after good work by Conway and two minutes later, a Robertson effort was cleared off the line and in the scramble that followed Saints blocked three attempts by United players with the ball finally ending up in the keeper's arms. The young Tangerines were doing most of the attacking and a Conway chip shot was plucked from the air by Shaw who then denied Callaghan with a double save from the wing-back. As the first period neared its end United were making good progress in the St Johnstone half without finding the final ball required.
The second half opened with St Johnstone out of luck again when McCann could only parry a shot from McCallum who then hit the rebound off the base of the post. At the other end, Jarvis deserved better luck for his all round effort on the night but his shot from twenty-five yards cannoned off the bar five minutes into the second period. Bell worked a good ball to Robertson but the latter fired just wide from twenty yards and just short of the hour mark Robertson had a volley tipped over by the keeper. A second goal was sure to come and it was Anderson who got it when he bulleted a header from six yards from a Jarvis corner kick. Craig (pictured) got in on the act next but his effort from twenty-five yards was deflected over the top. St Johnstone were not entirely out of it but when they did get forward, Anderson Abbot and Molloy were there to break up the moves.
Anderson was in action at both ends when he had a headed effort cleared off the line in 66 minutes and then a minute later he was heading clear a Bower cross in his own box. Bell was not far away with a shot from distance and a Jarvis cross caused panic in the Saints box but it was eventually cleared. Easton, who came on as a sub late in the half, found Anderson in the box but the knock-on from the central defender was played out for a goal kick. Bell found Conway and he showed a deft touch in the box to leave a defender mesmerised to make room for a shot but the keeper saved low. In the final minute Jarvis took a free kick and his shot through a gap in the wall was held by Shaw. Then, Bell was brought down in the box and it looked a stonewall penalty but the referee waved play on. Justice was served however, when Robertson took a cut-back and fired in a low drive from twenty-five yards for a final score line of 3-0 to the young Tangerines.
After the match Tony Docherty was obviously pleased with the outcome and he said, "The performance tonight was excellent and the boys passed the ball very well. As a result we created a number of chances and we could have scored more than the three. I was also delighted that we kept a clean sheet thanks to the efforts of our keeper and the back three. I was particularly happy with the performance of Steven Craig but the whole team played well giving a good all-round performance and fully deserving the win."
United : McCann, Callaghan , Jarvis, Abbot, Anderson, Molloy, Robertson, Craig, Conway, Bell, McDonald .
Subs : Band, Gardiner, Easton, Andrew, Smith.
St Johnstone : Shaw, Baxter, McKenzie, Moon, Nicholl, Fraser, Bowers, Cannon Glen McCallum, Malone.
Subs : Arnott, R Campbell, C Campbell, Dyer, Anton
