MATCH REPORT : UNITED NARROWLY BEATEN BY RESOLUTE LIVI

For the last home game before Christmas, Livingston were the visitors to a drenched Tannadice as United looked to end their three-game winless run and kickstart the 2021/22 campaign back into life.

The Toni Macaroni was equally sodden the last time the sides faced off, Peter Pawlett’s tap-in just before the interval seeing United take a point back to Tayside.
 
Two changes were made to the side that were well-beaten by Celtic on Sunday, Louis Apperé and Adrian Spörle dropping to the bench as Declan Glass and Scott McMann reclaimed their starting spot from Dingwall.
 
Ilmari Niskanen had two identical chances inside the opening ten minutes, being found on the left of the 18-yard box by Glass then Clark. First, he curled a timid effort straight down the throat of Stryjek, then bending the ball wide of the post.
 
Despite this, Livingston claimed the upper hand in the opening 25 minutes, picking up nearly every second ball on offer as they launched speculative long passes down the centre of United’s rearguard. This was clearly the game plan for David Martindale’s side who, in possession, seemed to set up in a 3-2-5 formation with the wingbacks staying high and wide to cause the compact hosts a problem, Niskanen in particular who was forced into unfamiliar territory at left-wingback.
 
Jeando Fuchs was caught short on the edge of the United box as he tried to shield the ball from McMillan, eventually surrendering possession to Alan Forrest who drilled narrowly wide of Benji Siegrist’s post. Soon after Forrest struck Penrice’s cross into the arms of the United stopper via a deflection off a tangerine shirt, and then blasted a shot well over the crossbar after cutting in from the left.
 
United began to retaliate to the Lions’ pressure around the half-hour mark, academy graduate Glass weaving his way through multiple Livingston players on numerous occasions and spraying the ball from side to side. However, the Terrors still found major difficulty in carving out clear-cut chances through an organised and resolute visitors defence, and the ball ended up circulating around the box with little potency, frustrating the home crowd.
 
A set-piece straight from the training ground provided the first opportunity for United in almost 25 minutes. Fuchs threw a couple of dummies before rolling the ball into the feet of Pawlett 30 yards from goal. The 30-year-old clipped a first-time cross towards Clark who killed the ball dead with his first touch before shooting on the swivel, unfortunately into the arms of Stryjek.
 
Ian Harkes was the recipient of the first half’s golden chance for United, after quick passing between Kieran Freeman and Pawlett down the right channel fractured the Livi defence. Pawlett burst into the area and pulled the ball back to the advancing Harkes who swept the ball into the Shed from 15 yards.
 
In the second half, Glass was again the source of anything positive for United, his mazy runs causing the away side major issues on the 54th minute as he danced into the area. The youngster failed to find a colleague with his crosses though, and then took matters into his own hands, finding space on the angle to send the ball skimming inches wide of Stryjek’s near-post.
 
Charlie Mulgrew rose highest in the area to glance Pawlett’s corner over the bar after an hour, and then substitute Adrian Sporle stung the keeper’s palms with a venomous left-foot strike from 25 yards.
 
United were by far the better side since the restart, but it was Livingston who took the lead with 24 to play. Fuchs held off the challenge of Andrew Shinnie when he was caught in a tight spot rather than clear the ball to safety, and Forrest raced onto his blind side to regain possession. The diminutive winger drove towards the box and eventually let Shinnie take control who cut past Edwards before being felled by the recovering Fuchs. Gavin Duncan pointed to the spot and Ayo Obileye made no mistake from 12 yards to stutter and send Siegrist the wrong way to give his side the advantage.
 
Livingston almost doubled their lead soon after, Forrest testing Siegrist on the break with a well-struck effort from the corner of the box, the loose ball this time cleared by Fuchs.
 
United began to rain a hail of crosses into the visitors’ area but to no avail as the white shirts stood strong to clear all that came their way.
 
However, McMann managed to reach the by-line, powerfully striding away from Nicky Devlin and sending a low, driven cross towards Niskanen. The Finn connected with the ball perfectly with his left foot but sent his effort the wrong side of the post as it looked like it wasn’t to be United’s day.
 
This was the last sighting of goal for the afternoon and Livi rode out the tangerine storm to ensure all three points headed back to West Lothian, United slipping to fifth in the cinch Premiership before next week’s trip to Ibrox.