Development League: United 1 Partick Thistle 3

The young Tangerines suffered an afternoon of frustration at the Excelsior Stadium yesterday after when losing out to Partick Thistle. Bad enough that all three goals were poor ones to concede defensively, but they had by far the bulk of the play and were denied by the woodwork on no less three occasions! Totally against the run of play, United fell behind after 21 minutes when David Wilson won possession and played in Chris Duggan to open the scoring with a clinical finish. Shortly before the break Chris McLaughlin crashed a long range effort off the bar and Scott Smith had a good effort saved by Jags keeper Mark Waters. Four minutes after the restart, United were again punished for a defensive error, which resulted in Declan McDaid cleverly curling the ball inside the far post from the corner of box to double the visitors’ lead. And but for a fine save from Michal Szromnik from Jordan Leyden seven minutes later, it would have been three. But it was only delayed because Duggan set up McDaid to fire home his second and his side’s third. Just two minutes later, substitutes Matty Smith and Rafa Malaga combined, with the latter pulling one back with a deflected effort. Despite having a penalty claim turned down for an apparent foul on Jamie Montgomery anhd the same player and Jamie Robson both striking the woodwork, United just couldn’t salvage a point. To compound an afternoon in which little went right, having committed all three substitutes they played out the closing stages with ten men after defender Euan Spark had to go off following a head knock. Dundee United: Szromnik, Spark, McLaughlin, S Smith (M Smith 46), Ballantyne (Robson 62), H Souttar, B Smith, Petrie, Tumilty (Malaga 58), Montgomery, Coote. Substitutes not used: Booth, McNaughton, Horne, Duke.