First Team
Match Report | Rangers 1-1 Dundee United
23rd November 2024
Headers from Jon Daly and Lee Wilkie gave United a commanding victory at Tannadice despite an unfortunate late own-goal from Wilkie which briefly
gave Inverness hope.
Manager Craig Levein confirmed his satisfaction with last week's win over Hearts by fielding an unchanged side for the visit of Craig Brewster's men.
After a bright opening 10 minutes, the visitors had the first real chance of the match as the ball broke to Don Cowie just eight yards out. However, faced with a tight angle, he blasted his shot over.
The first clear chance for United came after 13 minutes. Craig Conway fired in a cross from the left which was flicked on by Scott Robertson to the back post where captain Wilkie found himself in acres of space. Unfortunately the centre half could only balloon his shot over.
Two minutes later, United had a big shout for a penalty when Willo Flood's driven ball across a crowded box appeared to strike the arm of an ICT defender before going out for a corner, but referee Brines saw nothing untoward despite impassioned United pleas. From the resultant corner, Daly's header was saved on the line by ICT 'keeper Michael Fraser as he was put under pressure by Sandaza.
Despite United dominating possession, ICT were creating chances of their own and Don Cowie's half volley went a couple of yards wide before the same player was halted by a combination of Wilkie and Zaluska as he bore down on goal.
The United front pairing then combined beautifully after 24 minutes to create a real opening. Sandaza fed Daly in the box and the Irishman laid a lovely backheel into the path of the Spaniard on the six-yard line but he took one touch too many when a first-time shot was probably the best option and the ball was cleared.
United then came close again after 32 minutes. Darren Dods got a header on target from a Conway cross but it was cleared off the line by Jamie Duff.
Eight minutes later, United were ahead and it was made and finished in Dublin. Sean Dillon sent in an excellent first-time cross from the right and Daly rose majestically to head the ball past Fraser and into the far corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season.
After going in 1-0 up at half time, United started the second half in lively fashion. Conway sent in yet another tempting cross and Sandaza leapt and stretched in the box but could only flash his header just wide.
Paul Dixon was having an assured game and the left back was increasingly surging forward as space began to appear. After 53 minutes, he tore forward, cut inside and beat three men before laying the ball into the path of Willo Flood who forced Fraser into parrying his powerful shot from the D.
Four minutes later it was Daly's turn to flash a header wide, again from another excellent Conway cross.
United could sense that a second goal would kill the game off and Levein replaced Sandaza with O'Donovan to freshen things up front. Just five minutes later United finally found the second that their play deserved. A cross from the flying Dixon out wide on the left was nodded back across goal by ex-ICT man Dods and his central defensive partner Wilkie was there to head the ball in off the crossbar from point-blank range.
Substitute O'Donovan could then have put United 3-0 up and cruising but his stretching effort from a Gomis low cross went just wide of the right-hand post.
With 20 minutes to go, ICT mounted a final challenge. First, Barry Wilson forced Zaluska into a good save with a testing shot that the Pole palmed wide. Andy Barrowman then saw his header agonisingly bounce off the post with Zaluska stranded but right back Ross Tokely slipped with the goal at his mercy. The ball was eventually bundled in but the assistant referee
was flagging for offside.
After another confident display, Craig Conway was replaced by Danny Swanson and his first contribution to the game was a fantastic shot from nearly 40 yards that Fraser was forced to tip over at full stretch. The young midfielder then forced another save from Fraser after he nutmegged Iain Vigurs, made the byline and shot low, the keeper clearing with his legs.
With time running out, Inverness were not giving up and Cowie forced another fine save from Zaluska which gave the visitors another corner.
From the set piece, Barry Wilson send in a tricky ball to the front post which struck the leg of Lee Wilkie and bounced into the net to deny United a fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Despite a tense last couple of minutes, United saw the game out for a deserved victory.
Man of the match: A professional performance from front to back but the engine room of the side was Scott Robertson. His battling performance was exactly what United needed against a decent Inverness side. The ex-Dundee man covered a lot of ground, won many a tackle and consistently picked out a tangerine shirt with his passing.
Teams:
United: Zaluska, Dillon, Wilkie ©, Dods, Flood, Robertson, Daly, Sandaza
(O'Donovan 59), Conway (Swanson 75), Gomis, Dixon
Unused subs: McGovern, Grainger, Kenneth, Buaben, Goodwillie
Away: Fraser, Tokely, McBain (Rooney 71), Black (Wilson 46), Barrowman
(Wood 83), Imrie, Munro ©, Cowie, Hastings, Duff, Vigurs
Unused subs: Esson, Djebi-Zadi, McGuire, Gillespie
Referee: Iain Brines
Attendance: 6,279
Read the full report by Ross Burns.
gave Inverness hope.
Manager Craig Levein confirmed his satisfaction with last week's win over Hearts by fielding an unchanged side for the visit of Craig Brewster's men.
After a bright opening 10 minutes, the visitors had the first real chance of the match as the ball broke to Don Cowie just eight yards out. However, faced with a tight angle, he blasted his shot over.
The first clear chance for United came after 13 minutes. Craig Conway fired in a cross from the left which was flicked on by Scott Robertson to the back post where captain Wilkie found himself in acres of space. Unfortunately the centre half could only balloon his shot over.
Two minutes later, United had a big shout for a penalty when Willo Flood's driven ball across a crowded box appeared to strike the arm of an ICT defender before going out for a corner, but referee Brines saw nothing untoward despite impassioned United pleas. From the resultant corner, Daly's header was saved on the line by ICT 'keeper Michael Fraser as he was put under pressure by Sandaza.
Despite United dominating possession, ICT were creating chances of their own and Don Cowie's half volley went a couple of yards wide before the same player was halted by a combination of Wilkie and Zaluska as he bore down on goal.
The United front pairing then combined beautifully after 24 minutes to create a real opening. Sandaza fed Daly in the box and the Irishman laid a lovely backheel into the path of the Spaniard on the six-yard line but he took one touch too many when a first-time shot was probably the best option and the ball was cleared.
United then came close again after 32 minutes. Darren Dods got a header on target from a Conway cross but it was cleared off the line by Jamie Duff.
Eight minutes later, United were ahead and it was made and finished in Dublin. Sean Dillon sent in an excellent first-time cross from the right and Daly rose majestically to head the ball past Fraser and into the far corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season.
After going in 1-0 up at half time, United started the second half in lively fashion. Conway sent in yet another tempting cross and Sandaza leapt and stretched in the box but could only flash his header just wide.
Paul Dixon was having an assured game and the left back was increasingly surging forward as space began to appear. After 53 minutes, he tore forward, cut inside and beat three men before laying the ball into the path of Willo Flood who forced Fraser into parrying his powerful shot from the D.
Four minutes later it was Daly's turn to flash a header wide, again from another excellent Conway cross.
United could sense that a second goal would kill the game off and Levein replaced Sandaza with O'Donovan to freshen things up front. Just five minutes later United finally found the second that their play deserved. A cross from the flying Dixon out wide on the left was nodded back across goal by ex-ICT man Dods and his central defensive partner Wilkie was there to head the ball in off the crossbar from point-blank range.
Substitute O'Donovan could then have put United 3-0 up and cruising but his stretching effort from a Gomis low cross went just wide of the right-hand post.
With 20 minutes to go, ICT mounted a final challenge. First, Barry Wilson forced Zaluska into a good save with a testing shot that the Pole palmed wide. Andy Barrowman then saw his header agonisingly bounce off the post with Zaluska stranded but right back Ross Tokely slipped with the goal at his mercy. The ball was eventually bundled in but the assistant referee
was flagging for offside.
After another confident display, Craig Conway was replaced by Danny Swanson and his first contribution to the game was a fantastic shot from nearly 40 yards that Fraser was forced to tip over at full stretch. The young midfielder then forced another save from Fraser after he nutmegged Iain Vigurs, made the byline and shot low, the keeper clearing with his legs.
With time running out, Inverness were not giving up and Cowie forced another fine save from Zaluska which gave the visitors another corner.
From the set piece, Barry Wilson send in a tricky ball to the front post which struck the leg of Lee Wilkie and bounced into the net to deny United a fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Despite a tense last couple of minutes, United saw the game out for a deserved victory.
Man of the match: A professional performance from front to back but the engine room of the side was Scott Robertson. His battling performance was exactly what United needed against a decent Inverness side. The ex-Dundee man covered a lot of ground, won many a tackle and consistently picked out a tangerine shirt with his passing.
Teams:
United: Zaluska, Dillon, Wilkie ©, Dods, Flood, Robertson, Daly, Sandaza
(O'Donovan 59), Conway (Swanson 75), Gomis, Dixon
Unused subs: McGovern, Grainger, Kenneth, Buaben, Goodwillie
Away: Fraser, Tokely, McBain (Rooney 71), Black (Wilson 46), Barrowman
(Wood 83), Imrie, Munro ©, Cowie, Hastings, Duff, Vigurs
Unused subs: Esson, Djebi-Zadi, McGuire, Gillespie
Referee: Iain Brines
Attendance: 6,279
Read the full report by Ross Burns.
