MATCH REPORT : SUPER-SUB CLARK HITS BRACE AS UNITED DEFEAT COUNTY

An in-form Ross County were the visitors to Tannadice for another midweek match as United looked to get their cinch Premiership campaign back on track following their progression to the next round of the Scottish Cup courtesy of Dylan Levitt’s extra-time winner.
 
Three changes were made to the side victorious against Kilmarnock at the weekend, midfielders Jeando Fuchs , Ian Harkes and Peter Pawlett all returning to the side after being rested on Saturday. United lined up in a 4-3-3 with Levitt taking his typical role at the base of the midfield trio to allow himself space to play forward passes from deep. New signing Tony Watt, making his first home start, peeled off to the left to cut in on his favoured right foot both to shoot and cross.
 
Marc McNulty was the recipient of the first chance of the evening after being picked out by Watt’s teasing delivery at the back stick, but the striker was unable to divert the cross home on the stretch.
 
United enjoyed total dominance throughout the entirety of the first half, with County frequently unable to progress play out of their own half without aimlessly blasting the ball back up the pitch for either Calum Butcher, playing as a makeshift centre-half, or Ryan Edwards to collect.
 
After 28 minutes, Kieran Freeman showed outrageous technique when he sent a right-footed volley inches past the post from an acute angle following neat combination play with Pawlett in a tight area.
 
Merely 60 seconds later, McNulty was presented with another golden opportunity to open his league account for the season. Declan Drysdale charged out from defence and surrendered possession cheaply, leaving McNulty with a three-on-two scenario. However, the striker opted to shoot too early and stroked a weak effort straight at Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
 
The chances were flowing now for United, this time Levitt bending one towards the head of Edwards who just failed to connect with the ball under pressure from Alex Iacovitti.
 
In the opening ten minutes of the second period, the run of play inverted towards the United net, with Jordan White’s channel runs proving troublesome for United, Freeman having to clear one of his cutbacks away from Dominic Samuel in the middle after the striker escaped the clutches of Calum Butcher down the right.
 
Former United man Blair Spittal was thwarted by Edwards as the Skipper stuck out his left leg to block his goal-bound effort, before County’s persistence paid off and they took the lead. Connor Randall’s cross was cleared only as far as Jack Baldwin who sent a dipping effort on target, forcing Benji Siegrist to beat the strike away. The loose ball dropped for Regan Charles-Cook, and the winger lifted the ball past the United stopper from a tight angle to give his side the lead.
 
Following the goal, Tam Courts made two substitutions instantly, introducing Nicky Clark and Ilmari Niskanen.
 
United regained the upper hand as their opponents dropped deeper to protect their one-goal advantage, but struggled with progressing the ball into the attacking third due to a lack on dynamic movement.
 
County almost doubled their lead with 67 minutes on the clock, as Charles-Cook burst away from Edwards into the area before firing a left-footed effort on target, Siegrist standing firm to keep it out.
 
Fuchs sent a well-weighted through ball into Harkes who made a darting run off the shoulder of Iacovitti, the American drilling one down the throat of Maynard-Brewer.
 
The tangerine dominance would eventually tell two minutes later, Watt’s cross met by Clark and his close-range shot striking the arm of Drysdale leading to the award of a penalty. The 30-year-old stepped up to take himself and calmly converted into the corner, restoring parity after a frustrating period for United.
 
Freeman continued to cause problems for the visitors by playing extremely high on the right and almost benefited from his attacking mindset when a Fuchs shot from range fell kindly for him. The Academy graduate let the ball come across his body and struck a half-volley narrowly wide of the far post.
 
The Staggies could’ve snatched as the clock ticked down when Jake Vokins picked out Joeseph Hungbo in the middle, left in splendid isolation, but Siegrist produced a moment of brilliance to keep United in it, throwing himself down to his right to deny the substitute.
 
At the death, just as it looked as though United were going to have to settle for a point, super-sub Clark stepped up to the plate to deliver the victory and send Tannadice into raptures. Watt found space on the right to cut inside and send an inch-perfect cross onto the striker’s head behind Drysdale, and he glanced the ball beyond the keeper into the net to give the Terrors a much-needed win.
 
A pulsating conclusion to the 90 minutes which sees pick up their first league victory in two months ahead of Saturday’s trip to Celtic Park, Clark the hero as he scores his first goal since finding the net against Hearts at Tynecastle.