Development League: United 1 Rangers 2

Dundee United had every right to feel hard done by when losing by the odd goal in three to Rangers’ much more experienced side at Station Park this afternoon. By Peter Rundo The visitors were indeed fortunate not to go behind after 25 minutes. Keeper Liam Kelly failed to collect a corner and Jamie Montgomery spun and crashed home the loose ball, only for the referee to mysteriously give a foul against the United man. Frustratingly for the Tangerines, they found themselves trailing after conceding a goal five minutes from the break. Darren Ramsey’s curling free-kick was touched on to the post by United keeper Michal Szromnik, but defender Lucia Gasparaotto was on hand to head home the rebound. Starting the second half brightly, the hosts came close to levelling on a couple of occasions and were rightly aggrieved when Rangers doubled the lead the after 52 minutes with Calum Gallacher scoring on the counter. But it followed a deliberate tug by Kevin Mbubu on Matty Smith at the other end! In the face of that injustice, United deservedly pulled one back after 65 minutes through Jamie Montgomery who netted a rebound after Justin Johnson brilliantly curled an effort off the inside of the far post. And shortly afterwards Johnson was only denied an equaliser by Kelly’s finger-tip save. Ali Coote went close with eight minutes left but, hard as they tried, the Tangerines couldn’t fashion what would have been a deserved equaliser. Dundee United: Szromnik, Spark, Robson, S Smith, Ballantyne, McLaughlin, Montgomery, Petrie (Duke 73), M Smith, Coote, Johnson. Subs not used: Booth, H Souttar,Durie, Adeyemo, Davie, McGovern.