MATCH REPORT | AZIZ BEHICH'S FIRST HALF STRIKE SECURES ALL THREE POINTS

DUNDEE UNITED 1-0 HIBERNIAN
CINCH PREMIERSHIP

7:45PM SATURDAY 8TH OCTOBER 2022

TANNADICE PARK
 
Attendance 9112 (1849 away)

The Tangerines make it two wins on the spin after Aziz Behich’s second goal in as many matches secures all three points at Tannadice.

UNCHANGED

Not to anyone’s surprise, Liam Fox named an unchanged starting eleven and bench for tonight’s fixture.

Craig Sibbald retained his place in the side and was named in the SPFL Team of the Week earlier this afternoon.
 
Hibs also named a fully unchanged matchday squad after their victory over Motherwell.

UNITED GROWING

It took until after the five-minute mark for United to find their rhythm.
 
A number of quick chances followed as Dylan Levitt and Glenn Middleton both went close to opening the scoring. Middleton’s chance was the best of the two as he beat the offside trap but fired a powerful effort into the side net of David Marshall’s goal.
 
Levitt had another chance to break the deadlock but a sliding Ryan Porteous was able to block his goal-bound effort.  

TWO IN TWO

United had the opener their play deserved just after the ten-minute mark thanks to Aziz Behich.
 
It was a brilliantly worked goal - the ball was switched out to the left before Behich drove into the box evading a number of Hibs challenges. A sharp one-two with Dylan Levitt fashioned an opening and the Australian full-back curled an outside-of-the-foot effort beyond David Marshall into the corner.

HIBS CHANCES

The visitors responded well with several chances to level the game.
 
Mykola Kukharevych did well to battle off Ryan Edwards before getting a shot off, but Carljohan Eriksson was able to comfortably gather.
 
Hibs had the ball in the net after 34 minutes only for the referee to pull it back for a foul. Elie Youan’s acrobatic attempt fell to Kukharevych to tap home but the former was found guilty of a high foot in the build-up.
 
United ended the half well and could have found themselves two to the good. Watt drove down the Hibs left before pulling it back to McGrath. The Irishman looked to be bundled over in the box before Middleton blasted over from the loose ball.

END-TO-END

The second half picked up the same way as the first half left off.
 
The Terrors almost doubled their advantage as Watt almost connected with Liam Smith’s cross that was fired across the area.

 
Middleton showed some exquisite skill moments later, picking the ball out of the sky and driving at the Hibs defence but his deflected shot fell just wide of the post.
 
Hibs had chances themselves. As visitors broke forward on the counterattack, Josh Campbell arrived in the area before slipping and Ewan Henderson scuffed his shot wide of the target.
 
Just before the hour mark Martin Boyle had his first real sighting at goal but blasted the volley over from 12-yards out.  

SAKU'S SAVES

Kukharevych really should have equalised after picking up a loose pass from Sibbald. The Hibs forward was faced down one-on-one by Eriksson who made himself big to block and deflect wide.
 
Our Finnish shot-stopper was also on hand to deny Harry McKirdy at the near post and Kukharevych once more as he stood tall to parry over the bar.

SEEING IT OUT

Hibs piled on the pressure in the dying embers but there was a real grit about United’s defending as they stood strong to see out a hard-fought victory.

Teamlines

Starting XI: Eriksson, Smith, McMann, Edwards, Sibbald (Harkes 70'), Middleton (A.Sadat 76'), Behich, McGrath, Levitt, Freeman, Watt
 
Unused subs: Birighitti, Graham, Niskanen, Pawlett, Meekison, Cudjoe, Thomson

NEXT UP

We’re on the road this Saturday as we travel North to take on Ross County in Dingwall.
 
Full ticket information for the match is available here!