FIXTURE INFORMATION | DUNDEE UNITED B V DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC B
26th November 2024
Despite hard work and plenty of endeavour, Dundee United suffered their first defeat of the Scottish Premiership season.
Untied made three changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Partick Thistle on the opening day of the season. Ryan Gauld, Ryan Dow and Nadir Ciftci all moved to the substitutes' bench. Chris Erskine, Gary Mackay-Steven and John Rankin replaced them in the starting XI.
As both sides looked to settle into the game, it was Inverness who had a first strike at goal. Some neat passing just shy of the edge of the United area set up James Vincent. However, his left footed strike towards the back post was blocked by the head of Sean Dillon who was in the right place at the right time to deny the on-target effort.
It would be fair to say that in possession United suffered a slight case of nerves. Despite winning the ball with a superbly timed tackle on the right hand side, Chris Erskine was unable to hit the mark with his forward pass, somewhat typifying the first half for the Tangerines.
The visitors' second chance of the game came on the counter. After having intercepted the attempted through ball from Chris Erskine, the ball was played forward to the feet of Billy McKay. With his back to goal he turned and played a weighted through pass to Andrew Shinnie. Thankfully, the full-back's strike was well saved by the feet of Radoslaw Cierzniak at the front post.
With 20 minutes played, Caley Thistle took the lead. Paul Paton's sliding clearance fell to Inverness Skipper Richie Foran 30 yards from goal. The midfielder played the ball into the box and McKay managed to turn Sean Dillon as the ball bounced up into the air. With only Cierzniak to beat, he managed to prod the ball over the keeper to put the men from the Highlands ahead from 6 yards.
United were showing flashes of good attacking football when on the counter attack. Full back Andrew Robertson cut inside slightly which allowed John Rankin some space out on the left touchline. Rankin lobbed a terrific cross into the path the on-rushing Stuart Armstrong 30 yards from goal with the Inverness defence looking stretched. The Scotland Under 21 Captain hit a first time ball towards Goodwillie who unfortunately didn't have time to get the ball from his chest to his feet allowing the Inverness defenders to clear the ball from the danger zone.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
United were beginning to enjoy some more good passages of play whilst in possession as Andrew Robertson played a neat pass to Gary Mackay-Steven who in turn passed it inside to Chris Erskine. The former Partick man returned the ball to Mackay-Steven who crossed the ball into the Inverness area. Unfortunately, no United shirt could get to the ball first and it was half cleared. The ball fell to John Rankin within the 18 yard box but his first time volley sliced behind for a goal kick.
Inverness captain Richie Foran was then involved in a big talking point. Mackay-Steven looked to bring the ball down in the middle of the park. As he used his knee to take the ball past Foran, the Inverness man planted his studs down and into the knee of Mackay-Steven. Referee Steven McLean only deemed the challenge worthy of a yellow card, much to the astonishment of the home side.
The best chance of the first half for United came shortly after the flashpoint. Rankin did well to prod the ball to Erskine who then played a terrific pass into the path of Goodwillie on the left. The Scottish Cup hero squared the ball along the edge of the Inverness area into the path of the arriving Armstrong. Unfortunately, his right footed strike was gathered low by Dean Brill in the Inverness goal.
The second half began much as the first half had played out with the visitors in control of the ball for large spells. Aaron Doran was able to hit a strike after he cut in from the right and his left footed strike met the head of McKay in the area which cause the ball to deflect just wide.
As the visitors looked to be control of the ball, United fashioned the best chance of the entire game. A wonderful 40 yard pass out to the left from Paton was expertly controlled by Mackay-Steven who chested the ball past Raven at right-back. Mackay-Steven drove the by-line and squared the ball to the back post. There to meet it was Goodwillie. However, his attempt managed to spoon the ball out of the goal mouth causing agony for the home side.
The visitors could have made it 2-0 late in the game. Calum Butcher was robbed of the ball by Andrew Shinnie who drove forward. With McKay in support they looked to stretch Dillon and Butcher. The one-two allowed Shinnie to take a strike at goal. Thankfully for United, his left foot strike was dragged wide.
Man of the Match: While it's clear that the team are still trying to find their feet with new faces in a host of different positions, there was a real sense of disappointment in the result and performance. One of the biggest and brightest shining lights was Andrew Robertson. The young full-back seems to have blown all expectation out of the water for a player who last season was an amateur with Third Division Queens Park. It would be unsurprising to see Robertson's name more regularly than anticipated on the team sheet in the coming months.
Teams:
Dundee United: Cierzniak, Dillon, Butcher, Paton, Goodwillie (Ciftci 83), Rankin (Graham 57), Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven, Watson, Erskine (Dow 62), Robertson.
Subs not used: McCallum, Souttar, Gauld, Gunning.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Brill, Raven (Devine 73), Shinnie, Vincent, Warren, Meekings, McKay, Draper, Foran, Doran (Polworth 85), Ross.
Subs not used: Esson, Greenhalgh, Tremarco, Williams, Agdestein.
Referee: Steven McLean.
Assistant Referees: David Watt, Alan Mulvanny.
Fourth Official: Andrew Dallas.
Attendance: 6,664.
Untied made three changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Partick Thistle on the opening day of the season. Ryan Gauld, Ryan Dow and Nadir Ciftci all moved to the substitutes' bench. Chris Erskine, Gary Mackay-Steven and John Rankin replaced them in the starting XI.
As both sides looked to settle into the game, it was Inverness who had a first strike at goal. Some neat passing just shy of the edge of the United area set up James Vincent. However, his left footed strike towards the back post was blocked by the head of Sean Dillon who was in the right place at the right time to deny the on-target effort.
It would be fair to say that in possession United suffered a slight case of nerves. Despite winning the ball with a superbly timed tackle on the right hand side, Chris Erskine was unable to hit the mark with his forward pass, somewhat typifying the first half for the Tangerines.
The visitors' second chance of the game came on the counter. After having intercepted the attempted through ball from Chris Erskine, the ball was played forward to the feet of Billy McKay. With his back to goal he turned and played a weighted through pass to Andrew Shinnie. Thankfully, the full-back's strike was well saved by the feet of Radoslaw Cierzniak at the front post.
With 20 minutes played, Caley Thistle took the lead. Paul Paton's sliding clearance fell to Inverness Skipper Richie Foran 30 yards from goal. The midfielder played the ball into the box and McKay managed to turn Sean Dillon as the ball bounced up into the air. With only Cierzniak to beat, he managed to prod the ball over the keeper to put the men from the Highlands ahead from 6 yards.
United were showing flashes of good attacking football when on the counter attack. Full back Andrew Robertson cut inside slightly which allowed John Rankin some space out on the left touchline. Rankin lobbed a terrific cross into the path the on-rushing Stuart Armstrong 30 yards from goal with the Inverness defence looking stretched. The Scotland Under 21 Captain hit a first time ball towards Goodwillie who unfortunately didn't have time to get the ball from his chest to his feet allowing the Inverness defenders to clear the ball from the danger zone.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
United were beginning to enjoy some more good passages of play whilst in possession as Andrew Robertson played a neat pass to Gary Mackay-Steven who in turn passed it inside to Chris Erskine. The former Partick man returned the ball to Mackay-Steven who crossed the ball into the Inverness area. Unfortunately, no United shirt could get to the ball first and it was half cleared. The ball fell to John Rankin within the 18 yard box but his first time volley sliced behind for a goal kick.
Inverness captain Richie Foran was then involved in a big talking point. Mackay-Steven looked to bring the ball down in the middle of the park. As he used his knee to take the ball past Foran, the Inverness man planted his studs down and into the knee of Mackay-Steven. Referee Steven McLean only deemed the challenge worthy of a yellow card, much to the astonishment of the home side.
The best chance of the first half for United came shortly after the flashpoint. Rankin did well to prod the ball to Erskine who then played a terrific pass into the path of Goodwillie on the left. The Scottish Cup hero squared the ball along the edge of the Inverness area into the path of the arriving Armstrong. Unfortunately, his right footed strike was gathered low by Dean Brill in the Inverness goal.
The second half began much as the first half had played out with the visitors in control of the ball for large spells. Aaron Doran was able to hit a strike after he cut in from the right and his left footed strike met the head of McKay in the area which cause the ball to deflect just wide.
As the visitors looked to be control of the ball, United fashioned the best chance of the entire game. A wonderful 40 yard pass out to the left from Paton was expertly controlled by Mackay-Steven who chested the ball past Raven at right-back. Mackay-Steven drove the by-line and squared the ball to the back post. There to meet it was Goodwillie. However, his attempt managed to spoon the ball out of the goal mouth causing agony for the home side.
The visitors could have made it 2-0 late in the game. Calum Butcher was robbed of the ball by Andrew Shinnie who drove forward. With McKay in support they looked to stretch Dillon and Butcher. The one-two allowed Shinnie to take a strike at goal. Thankfully for United, his left foot strike was dragged wide.
Man of the Match: While it's clear that the team are still trying to find their feet with new faces in a host of different positions, there was a real sense of disappointment in the result and performance. One of the biggest and brightest shining lights was Andrew Robertson. The young full-back seems to have blown all expectation out of the water for a player who last season was an amateur with Third Division Queens Park. It would be unsurprising to see Robertson's name more regularly than anticipated on the team sheet in the coming months.
Teams:
Dundee United: Cierzniak, Dillon, Butcher, Paton, Goodwillie (Ciftci 83), Rankin (Graham 57), Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven, Watson, Erskine (Dow 62), Robertson.
Subs not used: McCallum, Souttar, Gauld, Gunning.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Brill, Raven (Devine 73), Shinnie, Vincent, Warren, Meekings, McKay, Draper, Foran, Doran (Polworth 85), Ross.
Subs not used: Esson, Greenhalgh, Tremarco, Williams, Agdestein.
Referee: Steven McLean.
Assistant Referees: David Watt, Alan Mulvanny.
Fourth Official: Andrew Dallas.
Attendance: 6,664.
