MATCH REPORT: UNITED BEGIN 2022 WITH HOME DEFEAT AGAINST BUDDIES

United kicked off 2022 with a home clash against St Mirren as Tannadice welcomed back full stands following the enforced 500 spectator cap which in turn brought the winter break forward seven days, resulting in the postponement of this fixture along with the Dundee derby.
 
With practically a full squad to pick from for the first time in months, Tam Courts made six changes to the side defeated by Hibernian on Boxing Day which found itself heavily populated by Academy graduates. The headline change was a return to the XI for striker Marc McNulty, whose last outing came 117 days ago against his former club Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup.
 
St Mirren began the match on the front foot, lobbing speculative passes down the channels and being first to every second ball on offer, causing United real problems. The Buddies got their just rewards on the 15th minute in emphatic fashion. Jay Henderson went deep to lay the ball off to Greg Kiltie, dragging Scott McMann with him. The 19-year-old then burst into the space vacated by United’s left-back and collected the return pass before firing an unstoppable effort into the near-post from just inside the area.
 
The visitors could’ve made it two shortly after when Charlie Mulgrew failed to deal with Alan Power’s pass into the area, with the loose ball dropping for Kiltie to hit a shot which squirmed under Siegrist, the linesman’s flag coming to United’s rescue.
 
The first foray forward for the home side came after the midway point of the half, McNulty spinning away from his marker but failing to trouble Jack Alnwick in the Buddies’ net with his strike.
 
After going ahead, St Mirren were more than happy to put every black and white shirt behind the ball to frustrate United’s build-up play, with Dylan Levitt, Ryan Edwards and Mulgrew having to circulate the ball between themselves constantly, waiting for movement ahead of them.
 
Mulgrew almost drew the Terrors level as the match headed towards the interval, deflecting Levitt’s wide free-kick on target from close-range to force a fabulous reaction save from Alnwick.
 
The final chance before the break fell the way of United, Ian Harkes finding space on the right to pick out Peter Pawlett with his cutback who side-footed his effort into a covering defender.
 
Veteran Mulgrew nearly restored parity just three minutes after the restart after Pawlett was felled just outside the area. The set-piece specialist stepped up and curled his shot towards the postage stamp, Alnwick springing to his right to palm the ball to safety. Mulgrew went close once again soon after, meeting Levitt’s cross from the left of the area with the outside of his boot, the keeper diverting the ball wide down low.
 
Just after new signing Tony watt entered the fray on the hour mark, St Mirren grabbed a second against the run of play. Power swept the ball wide to Fraser who found the onrushing Henderson advancing into the area. The winger stroked the ball across the box for Eamonn Brophy, who had the simplest of tasks just to tap home from all of three yards.
 
Kiltie should’ve added insult to injury with 25 to play, as he collected Scott Tanser’s cross before shooting inches wide on the swivel.
 
The introduction of Academy graduate Kieran Freeman appeared to change the dynamic of the match in the latter stages, as he made multiple piercing runs in behind Tanser to find space to deliver into the box. Fellow substitute Nicky Clark picked Freeman out with a brilliant slide-rule pass, and the right-back put it on a plate for McNulty in the middle. However, the Scotland international failed to hit the target with his well-struck effort as he ran across Joe Shaughnessy’s blindside.
 
Clark headed Levitt’s corner wide at the near-post as United continued to press.
 
United finally found the net to get themselves back into it just before the 80th minute, with one of Freeman’s crosses deflecting off the unfortunate Power in the six-yard box and trundling over the line to give the home side hope.
 
Watt teed Freeman up at the back post as he looked to add a goal to his outstanding performance, fighting off Tanser to connect with the cross but Alnwick once again came to his side’s rescue. The resultant corner was met by Edwards whose looping header dropped onto the roof of the net, this the final chance for United.
 
A quick turnaround for United who will look to get the disappointing result off their minds with a Scottish Cup Fourth Round trip to Rugby Park.