First Team
Match Report | Rangers 1-1 Dundee United
23rd November 2024
Dundee United left Tynecastle pointless today despite being the better team for most of the match and scoring two excellent goals.
The team will look back on two of the Hearts goals and feel that they could have defended better, but there was nothing that could be done about the deflected winner from Hartley in the 85th minute.
First Half:
United started the match brightly and could have gone ahead in the 5th minute when Brebner won the ball in midfield and fed Crawford. The debutant's strike was blocked by Hearts goalkeeper Gordon and the chance was gone. Whilst Hearts began to threaten the United goal, the Tangerines went ahead on 19 minutes. McInnes won a free kick on the right hand side of the box, 20 yards out, and Robson's deflected effort sailed into the top corner of the Hearts net.
United could have gone in two up at half time but for a wonder save by Gordon. Kerr's 39th minute cross was met by Robson at the front post and his flicked header was somehow saved by the Hearts keeper. As luck would have it, it was all square at the interval. Hearts won a corner in the last minute of the first half and, as the ball was pitched into the middle of the area, Bullock came for the ball and missed and Pressley was on hand to volley into the empty net.
Half time: Hearts 1 Dundee United 1
At half time United will have been disappointed not to be at least one goal ahead as they created plenty chances whilst looking solid in defence.
Second Half:
Two minutes into the second half, United fans were incensed by the referee's decision to award Hearts a free kick for a foul on Miller 30 yards out. From the free kick McKenna's knock down was tapped home by the aforementioned Miller for Hearts' second goal. Four minutes later, United were again level - and it was a great set piece. As the Hearts defensive wall looked to close down either Wilson's or Robson's strike, the ball was knocked square to Archibald whose strike from 25 yards left Gordon with no chance. It was game on now and as both sides pressed for a winner; it was United who looked the more likely.
As the game reached its later stages, referee Mr Ritchie had the United crowd on their feet howling as, once again, one of his decisions appeared to baffle both players and supporters alike. He deemed a challenge by Ritchie on Wyness as unlawful and Hartley's strike from 25 yards was deflected past Bullock into the United goal. Such was the discontent amongst the United team that Ritchie was booked before the game kicked off again. United came back at Hearts and McCracken could have snatched an equaliser in the last minute but his header just drifted past.
Final score: Hearts 3 Dundee United 2
Summary:
Once again, it appears to be a hard luck story for United as the game which few who saw it would say they deserved to lose, ended with no points on the board for the Club. The team played well and scored two great goals and, although the defence will be disappointed with the slackness of two of the Hearts goals, they will feel very aggrieved not to have got anything from this game. Both Crawford and Mair can feel pleased with their individual performances and the team had a menacing look to it today.
Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, McAllister, Stamp, MacFarlane (Simmons 76), Hartley, Hamill (Miller 45), McKenna (Wyness 62), Pereira.
Subs Not Used: Moilanen, Weir, Berra, Wallace.
Booked: Simmons.
Goals: Pressley 44, Miller 49, Hartley 86.
Dundee Utd: Bullock, Wilson, Archibald, Ritchie, McCracken, Kerr, McInnes, Brebner (Mair 65), Robson, Crawford (Scotland 84), McIntyre.
Subs Not Used: Jarvie, Dodds, Grady, Robertson, Kenneth.
Booked: Robson, McInnes.
Goals: Robson 19, Archibald 53.
Att: 10,305
Ref: M Ritchie
Read the full match report by Joe Rice.
The team will look back on two of the Hearts goals and feel that they could have defended better, but there was nothing that could be done about the deflected winner from Hartley in the 85th minute.
First Half:
United started the match brightly and could have gone ahead in the 5th minute when Brebner won the ball in midfield and fed Crawford. The debutant's strike was blocked by Hearts goalkeeper Gordon and the chance was gone. Whilst Hearts began to threaten the United goal, the Tangerines went ahead on 19 minutes. McInnes won a free kick on the right hand side of the box, 20 yards out, and Robson's deflected effort sailed into the top corner of the Hearts net.
United could have gone in two up at half time but for a wonder save by Gordon. Kerr's 39th minute cross was met by Robson at the front post and his flicked header was somehow saved by the Hearts keeper. As luck would have it, it was all square at the interval. Hearts won a corner in the last minute of the first half and, as the ball was pitched into the middle of the area, Bullock came for the ball and missed and Pressley was on hand to volley into the empty net.
Half time: Hearts 1 Dundee United 1
At half time United will have been disappointed not to be at least one goal ahead as they created plenty chances whilst looking solid in defence.
Second Half:
Two minutes into the second half, United fans were incensed by the referee's decision to award Hearts a free kick for a foul on Miller 30 yards out. From the free kick McKenna's knock down was tapped home by the aforementioned Miller for Hearts' second goal. Four minutes later, United were again level - and it was a great set piece. As the Hearts defensive wall looked to close down either Wilson's or Robson's strike, the ball was knocked square to Archibald whose strike from 25 yards left Gordon with no chance. It was game on now and as both sides pressed for a winner; it was United who looked the more likely.
As the game reached its later stages, referee Mr Ritchie had the United crowd on their feet howling as, once again, one of his decisions appeared to baffle both players and supporters alike. He deemed a challenge by Ritchie on Wyness as unlawful and Hartley's strike from 25 yards was deflected past Bullock into the United goal. Such was the discontent amongst the United team that Ritchie was booked before the game kicked off again. United came back at Hearts and McCracken could have snatched an equaliser in the last minute but his header just drifted past.
Final score: Hearts 3 Dundee United 2
Summary:
Once again, it appears to be a hard luck story for United as the game which few who saw it would say they deserved to lose, ended with no points on the board for the Club. The team played well and scored two great goals and, although the defence will be disappointed with the slackness of two of the Hearts goals, they will feel very aggrieved not to have got anything from this game. Both Crawford and Mair can feel pleased with their individual performances and the team had a menacing look to it today.
Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, McAllister, Stamp, MacFarlane (Simmons 76), Hartley, Hamill (Miller 45), McKenna (Wyness 62), Pereira.
Subs Not Used: Moilanen, Weir, Berra, Wallace.
Booked: Simmons.
Goals: Pressley 44, Miller 49, Hartley 86.
Dundee Utd: Bullock, Wilson, Archibald, Ritchie, McCracken, Kerr, McInnes, Brebner (Mair 65), Robson, Crawford (Scotland 84), McIntyre.
Subs Not Used: Jarvie, Dodds, Grady, Robertson, Kenneth.
Booked: Robson, McInnes.
Goals: Robson 19, Archibald 53.
Att: 10,305
Ref: M Ritchie
Read the full match report by Joe Rice.
