First Team
Match Report | Rangers 1-1 Dundee United
23rd November 2024
Two second-half goals sent Dundee United to third in the SPL, as an inspired substitution by Craig Levein turned a scrappy, tense affair on its head.
A dull opening period, followed by 30 minutes of shadow boxing in the second half, left the game looking destined for a nil-nil stalemate, as both sets of players seemed to freeze in the bitterly cold conditions at Tannadice.
But with 15 minutes remaining, the United manager brought Danny Swanson off the bench to replace on-loan Jim O'Brien.
And the 21-year-old took just 47 seconds to fire home his first ever SPL goal as he skipped between Stephen Hughes and Stephen Craigan in the Motherwell defence to flick the ball past Graeme Smith with a composed right-foot finish.
Swanson, making just his eighth league appearance for United, with six coming from the bench, was again the architect behind United's second goal as he nut-megged Simon Lappin to find Willo Flood. And the Irishman's pinpoint pass found Mark De Vries in acres of space, leaving the Dutch striker time to coolly round Smith and poke the ball home with his right foot and put the result beyond doubt.
De Vries, who had failed to score for United in six league outings, notched his first SPL goal for United, and second for the club after last week's extra-time strike at Hampden.
Motherwell, competing in their fourth straight away game due to problems with the Fir Park pitch, have now picked up just two points in their last five matches, as their challenge for third place falters. But the Lanarkshire club battled hard and could have taken the lead on at least two occasions as Ross McCormack has chances either side of the interval.
Noel Hunt had the sole opportunity in the opening period for United, but headed over the bar.
Early in the second period, Garry Kenneth missed a glorious chance for the home side as the 6ft '4 centre back latched onto Jim O'Brien's powerful cross. But his header drifted across the face of the goal from four yards out.
Motherwell could have taken advantage of the miss and snatched the lead just minutes later. A cheeky free-kick from Craigan saw the defender flick the ball into the path of McCormack from the half-way line, but as the striker looked to fire the ball towards Lucasz Zaluska's goal, Mihael Kovacevic slid in with a superbly timed tackle to clear the danger.
McCormack was again at the heart of the Motherwell attack moments later, as he played the ball past Lee Wilkie and into the path of Chris Porter, but as the former United transfer target looked to pull the trigger, Zaluska charged out to the edge of his box to beat him to the ball.
Motherwell then enjoyed a spell of pressure with three successive corners, but the closest they came to capitalising was when Hunt headed the ball into his own side netting as he attempted to clear.
The introduction of Danny Swanson shortly after changed the course of the game, as he put United ahead with his first touch of the ball. And De Vries compounded the away side's misery on the stroke of full-time to give United a deserved 2-0 win.
Teams:
Dundee United: Zaluska, Kalvenes, Wilkie ( c ) (Grainger 67), Kenneth,Kovacevic, Flood, Kerr, Gomis, O'Brien (Swanson 75), Hunt, De Vries
Subs Not Used: McLean (GK), Dillon, Daly, Conway, Odhiambo
Motherwell: Smith, Malcolm, Craigan ( c ), Hammell (Lappin 25), Reynolds,Hughes, Lasley (McGarry 55) (Murphy 78), Fitzpatrick, Clarkson, Porter, McCormack
Subs Not Used: Daniels (GK), McLean, Smith, Archdeacon
Referee: Dougie McDonald
Click here for the full report by Craig MacLagan.
A dull opening period, followed by 30 minutes of shadow boxing in the second half, left the game looking destined for a nil-nil stalemate, as both sets of players seemed to freeze in the bitterly cold conditions at Tannadice.
But with 15 minutes remaining, the United manager brought Danny Swanson off the bench to replace on-loan Jim O'Brien.
And the 21-year-old took just 47 seconds to fire home his first ever SPL goal as he skipped between Stephen Hughes and Stephen Craigan in the Motherwell defence to flick the ball past Graeme Smith with a composed right-foot finish.
Swanson, making just his eighth league appearance for United, with six coming from the bench, was again the architect behind United's second goal as he nut-megged Simon Lappin to find Willo Flood. And the Irishman's pinpoint pass found Mark De Vries in acres of space, leaving the Dutch striker time to coolly round Smith and poke the ball home with his right foot and put the result beyond doubt.
De Vries, who had failed to score for United in six league outings, notched his first SPL goal for United, and second for the club after last week's extra-time strike at Hampden.
Motherwell, competing in their fourth straight away game due to problems with the Fir Park pitch, have now picked up just two points in their last five matches, as their challenge for third place falters. But the Lanarkshire club battled hard and could have taken the lead on at least two occasions as Ross McCormack has chances either side of the interval.
Noel Hunt had the sole opportunity in the opening period for United, but headed over the bar.
Early in the second period, Garry Kenneth missed a glorious chance for the home side as the 6ft '4 centre back latched onto Jim O'Brien's powerful cross. But his header drifted across the face of the goal from four yards out.
Motherwell could have taken advantage of the miss and snatched the lead just minutes later. A cheeky free-kick from Craigan saw the defender flick the ball into the path of McCormack from the half-way line, but as the striker looked to fire the ball towards Lucasz Zaluska's goal, Mihael Kovacevic slid in with a superbly timed tackle to clear the danger.
McCormack was again at the heart of the Motherwell attack moments later, as he played the ball past Lee Wilkie and into the path of Chris Porter, but as the former United transfer target looked to pull the trigger, Zaluska charged out to the edge of his box to beat him to the ball.
Motherwell then enjoyed a spell of pressure with three successive corners, but the closest they came to capitalising was when Hunt headed the ball into his own side netting as he attempted to clear.
The introduction of Danny Swanson shortly after changed the course of the game, as he put United ahead with his first touch of the ball. And De Vries compounded the away side's misery on the stroke of full-time to give United a deserved 2-0 win.
Teams:
Dundee United: Zaluska, Kalvenes, Wilkie ( c ) (Grainger 67), Kenneth,Kovacevic, Flood, Kerr, Gomis, O'Brien (Swanson 75), Hunt, De Vries
Subs Not Used: McLean (GK), Dillon, Daly, Conway, Odhiambo
Motherwell: Smith, Malcolm, Craigan ( c ), Hammell (Lappin 25), Reynolds,Hughes, Lasley (McGarry 55) (Murphy 78), Fitzpatrick, Clarkson, Porter, McCormack
Subs Not Used: Daniels (GK), McLean, Smith, Archdeacon
Referee: Dougie McDonald
Click here for the full report by Craig MacLagan.
