MATCH REPORT: DUNDEE UNITED V ABERDEEN

A fiery Terrors won their final pre-split fixture, beating Aberdeen 1-0 through a sensational team goal.

Dundee United elected to make a strong anti-racist message in advance of kick-off. The players and staff had taken the knee ahead of every fixture so far this season, but in the wake of events midweek, the Club wanted to make an enhanced show of solidarity with Glen Kamara.

The Terrors set out a strong squad, and began the game confidently against an away side that had been recently out of sorts. Managerless Aberdeen were led by a triumvirate of coaches that included former United man Barry Robson, and were on a barren run of only a single goal scored in nine games.  

The first half saw some very neat phases of play ignite between longer periods of thumped balls and muscular challenges. 

United were playing an aggressive formation, and looked to press high up the park right along the Aberdeen backline. McNulty and Shankland chased down any defenders who hoped to dally on the ball. Whenever Fuchs and Spörle won possession in the midfield, the advanced players were showing for the pass and working to create. 

Shankland nearly grabbed a goal from just such a midfield turnover. A loose Joe Lewis pass from the Aberdeen goal was snaffled and Shankland played in. The star striker cut back on the edge of the box, sending about half the Aberdeen defence, Lewis included, the wrong way. An artful chip over all their misdirected heads would’ve bounced into the net, had the hulking form of Ash Taylor not been there to clear. 

Aberdeen threatened before the break with strikes from distance, and certainly they held the ball well in their own half, but they offered little in front of Siegrist’s goal. An indication of the strain the goalless run was having on the visiting players came when Lewis Fergusson threw himself to the ground in the penalty area, claiming to have been fouled by the nearby Butcher. The United man was incensed, and things were only calmed down by the referee booking the away midfielder for simulation. 

The second half began with a period of tangerine pressure. With the action flowing down the hill on the left flank, United won a series of corners and controlled possession. Clear cut chances remained at a premium, however. 

When United did strike, they did so with panache. 

A ball was being shepherded behind by an Aberdeen defender, when Fuchs saw an opportunity. The Cameroonian internationalist barrelled in beyond the defender, turned on a sixpence with his backside to the byline, and played the ball to Shankland. The ball was fed to Harkes on the edge of the box, who returned it to a through-rushing Shankland. A final crisp short pass in a packed penalty area found a heavily marked Spörle. The young Argentine clipped the ball round a diving Joe Lewis to finish a classy team goal. With 30 minutes to play, the Tangerines had the slender lead. 

The battle raged. Aberdeen launched bodies onto the park, with Fraser Hornby, Nail McGinn, Matty Kennedy, Calvin Ramsay and Callum Hendry all joining the fray. United brought on Our Academy Graduate Louis Appere to relieve the goalscorer Spörle, and the young talent slotted in on the left of the front three, looking to see the game out. 

United saw the game out professionally, never relenting in their pressure going forwards, and keeping things locked up tight at the back. A terrific 3 points for United, who go into the post-split fixtures with momentum and positivity.

DUNDEE UNITED:Siegrist, L.Smith, Sporle, Reynolds, McNulty, Edwards, Robson (AG), Butcher, Harkes, Shankland, Fuchs. SUBS: Deniz, Connolly, Clark, Hoti, Chalmers (AG), Bolton, Appere (AG), Meekison (AG), K.Smith (AG).

ABERDEEN: Lewis, Hoban, Considine, Taylor, Hayes, McLennan, Ferguson, Kamberi, Campbell, MacKenzie, McCrorie SUBS: Woods, Hornby, Hendry, McGinn, McGeoch, Ross, Virtanen, Kennedy, Ramsay.