First Team
Match Report | Rangers 1-1 Dundee United
23rd November 2024
A night that started with great hopes ended with Arabs leaving the stadium with heavy hearts and sick to the stomach as a great opportunity was all but thrown away by a poor second half showing that undid all the good work of the ties' previous 135 minutes.
United kicked off in front of a packed Arab audience who were glad to see the return of UEFA Cup football to the club for all too long.
Early exchanges gave clear indication that United wanted to take the game to the Finnish side, who in turn seemed eager to take every opportunity to hit the home side on the break.
Collin Samuel started wide on the right and he showed early promise when he beat his marker and sent a cross flashing across goal. United continued to have the upper hand in the early stages and Robson sent a header wide after a great cross from Wilson. Samuel tried his luck from distance but his shot was rather sliced wide. MyPa continued to cause problems with their quick and very direct counter attacking style but great skill by Wilson in his own half saw Miller being given the ball, only to be felled by a shocking tackle by Miranda.
United had the best possible retort to the heavy challenges being dished out by the Brazilian defender when Wilson's free kick was cleared to the feet of Mark Kerr who blasted the ball into the net from 20 yards out after a poor headed clearance.
United were very much in control at this stage and Samuel again put in a great cross that the keeper clawed away from the onrushing Lee Miller. The Spanish referee incurred the wrath of the home support when he booked Archibald for a clumsy challenge - having failed to act on any of the heavy or persistent challenges by the Finnish side. Barry Robson headed the ball into the net when he met a Wilson cross at the back post but the Spanish referee again saw an infringement as he beat his marker in the air.
The rough treatment of Lee Miller seemed to take no breaks and the United striker had to leave the field for treatment to a head knock. When he was off, the Finns had a counter attack, which saw the referee bizarrely award a corner after a shot was sliced wide, without any form of appeal from the visitors.
A long ball to Samuel saw the United striker break through only to be cynically felled by a defender but yet again, the Spanish referee chose not to book the offender.
Great midfield play by Kerr saw Miller laying the ball into the path of Robson on the left. The referee played advantage as the United striker was again clattered by Miranda and Robson's cross was flicked on by McIntyre and blasted home by Samuel. Half an hour gone and United were well in control and deservedly ahead.
United had another couple of chances and Adriano should have done better with a shot at Stillie's goal.
McIntyre had what seemed a decent claim for a penalty waved away as he was bundled over by Miranda, then the same defender made a great blocking tackle to take the sting out of a Lee Miller shot as United searched for a killer third goal.
Half time saw the United side leave the field to a standing ovation for their deserved lead.
How things were to change in the next 45 minutes.
MyPa started the second half with the obvious intention of speeding the game up playing 3 attackers at times to stretch the United defence. United were far from out of it though and Grant Brebner volleyed over and Kerr shot wide as they continued to have a hold on the game.
Miranda eventually made his way into the referee's notebook after another heavy challenge as Samuel bore down on goal. Samuel continued to pose problems for the Finnish side with his strength and pace and the Finns were clearly frustrated as another player was booked for dissent.
Jim McIntyre showed great skill and put a cross over to the onrushing Kerr who hit the bar with a header with Miller unable to get to the rebound.
With 15 minutes left, the game was about to undergo a bizarre turnaround that would stun fans and players alike. A cross from the left was backheeled goalwards by Taipale. Stillie saved well and the ball was cleared for a corner but for some reason the Spanish referee seemed to see a foul by Duff on Adriano. No appeals were made and Duff was booked for his protest and the Brazilian striker beat Stillie to his right.
Crawford replaced Samuel as United boss Gordon Chisholm tried to give his side fresh impetus but disaster was only 6 minutes off as the Brazilian striker scored again - despite looking well offside - to level the match and put his side in the lead on away goals.
The crowd was shell-shocked and United tried everything to regain their lead but to no avail. Barry Robson had a shot saved by Korhonen and Paul Ritchie shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Dundee Utd: Stillie, Wilson, Ritchie, Archibald, Duff, Samuel (Crawford 76), Kerr, Brebner, Robson, Miller, McIntyre.
Subs Not Used: Samson, McCracken, Dodds, Kenneth, Cameron, Callaghan.
Booked: Archibald, Duff.
Goals: Kerr 15, Samuel 29.
MyPa: Korhonen, Huttunen, Miranda, Lindstrom, Kononen, Taipale (Kaijasilta 74), Karhu, Haapala, Kuparainen, Tarvajarvi (Manso 58), Adriano.
Subs Not Used: Kiljunen, Puhakainen, Muinonen, Kansikas, Lappalainen.
Booked: Miranda, Kononen, Haapala.
Goals: Adriano 74 pen, 81.
Agg (2-2): MyPa win on Away Goals Rule.
Attendance: 9,600.
Ref: Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez (Spain).
Click here to read the full match report by Grant Letham.
United kicked off in front of a packed Arab audience who were glad to see the return of UEFA Cup football to the club for all too long.
Early exchanges gave clear indication that United wanted to take the game to the Finnish side, who in turn seemed eager to take every opportunity to hit the home side on the break.
Collin Samuel started wide on the right and he showed early promise when he beat his marker and sent a cross flashing across goal. United continued to have the upper hand in the early stages and Robson sent a header wide after a great cross from Wilson. Samuel tried his luck from distance but his shot was rather sliced wide. MyPa continued to cause problems with their quick and very direct counter attacking style but great skill by Wilson in his own half saw Miller being given the ball, only to be felled by a shocking tackle by Miranda.
United had the best possible retort to the heavy challenges being dished out by the Brazilian defender when Wilson's free kick was cleared to the feet of Mark Kerr who blasted the ball into the net from 20 yards out after a poor headed clearance.
United were very much in control at this stage and Samuel again put in a great cross that the keeper clawed away from the onrushing Lee Miller. The Spanish referee incurred the wrath of the home support when he booked Archibald for a clumsy challenge - having failed to act on any of the heavy or persistent challenges by the Finnish side. Barry Robson headed the ball into the net when he met a Wilson cross at the back post but the Spanish referee again saw an infringement as he beat his marker in the air.
The rough treatment of Lee Miller seemed to take no breaks and the United striker had to leave the field for treatment to a head knock. When he was off, the Finns had a counter attack, which saw the referee bizarrely award a corner after a shot was sliced wide, without any form of appeal from the visitors.
A long ball to Samuel saw the United striker break through only to be cynically felled by a defender but yet again, the Spanish referee chose not to book the offender.
Great midfield play by Kerr saw Miller laying the ball into the path of Robson on the left. The referee played advantage as the United striker was again clattered by Miranda and Robson's cross was flicked on by McIntyre and blasted home by Samuel. Half an hour gone and United were well in control and deservedly ahead.
United had another couple of chances and Adriano should have done better with a shot at Stillie's goal.
McIntyre had what seemed a decent claim for a penalty waved away as he was bundled over by Miranda, then the same defender made a great blocking tackle to take the sting out of a Lee Miller shot as United searched for a killer third goal.
Half time saw the United side leave the field to a standing ovation for their deserved lead.
How things were to change in the next 45 minutes.
MyPa started the second half with the obvious intention of speeding the game up playing 3 attackers at times to stretch the United defence. United were far from out of it though and Grant Brebner volleyed over and Kerr shot wide as they continued to have a hold on the game.
Miranda eventually made his way into the referee's notebook after another heavy challenge as Samuel bore down on goal. Samuel continued to pose problems for the Finnish side with his strength and pace and the Finns were clearly frustrated as another player was booked for dissent.
Jim McIntyre showed great skill and put a cross over to the onrushing Kerr who hit the bar with a header with Miller unable to get to the rebound.
With 15 minutes left, the game was about to undergo a bizarre turnaround that would stun fans and players alike. A cross from the left was backheeled goalwards by Taipale. Stillie saved well and the ball was cleared for a corner but for some reason the Spanish referee seemed to see a foul by Duff on Adriano. No appeals were made and Duff was booked for his protest and the Brazilian striker beat Stillie to his right.
Crawford replaced Samuel as United boss Gordon Chisholm tried to give his side fresh impetus but disaster was only 6 minutes off as the Brazilian striker scored again - despite looking well offside - to level the match and put his side in the lead on away goals.
The crowd was shell-shocked and United tried everything to regain their lead but to no avail. Barry Robson had a shot saved by Korhonen and Paul Ritchie shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Dundee Utd: Stillie, Wilson, Ritchie, Archibald, Duff, Samuel (Crawford 76), Kerr, Brebner, Robson, Miller, McIntyre.
Subs Not Used: Samson, McCracken, Dodds, Kenneth, Cameron, Callaghan.
Booked: Archibald, Duff.
Goals: Kerr 15, Samuel 29.
MyPa: Korhonen, Huttunen, Miranda, Lindstrom, Kononen, Taipale (Kaijasilta 74), Karhu, Haapala, Kuparainen, Tarvajarvi (Manso 58), Adriano.
Subs Not Used: Kiljunen, Puhakainen, Muinonen, Kansikas, Lappalainen.
Booked: Miranda, Kononen, Haapala.
Goals: Adriano 74 pen, 81.
Agg (2-2): MyPa win on Away Goals Rule.
Attendance: 9,600.
Ref: Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez (Spain).
Click here to read the full match report by Grant Letham.
