MATCH REPORT | A POINT APIECE AT GUSSIE AS YOUNG TERRORS BATTLE WITH BUDDIES

DUNDEE UNITED 1-1 ST MIRREN
CAS UNDER-18S ELITE LEAGUE
7PM FRIDAY 18TH NOVEMBER
GUSSIE PARK

Friday night football continued under the Gussie Park lights as the Young Terrors hosted St Mirren in the CAS Under-18s Elite League.
 
The reverse fixture was a breathless encounter at Ralston Training Complex, as United staged a dramatic comeback inside the final six minutes to turn the match on its head and claim a 4-3 victory, Conor May with a close-range winner.

Line-Up

Ryan Moon made three changes to the side defeated by Celtic, Lewis O’Donnell’s injury re-lapse saw him drop out of the matchday squad altogether, with Keir Bertie taking his place in midfield, however defender Arron Donald returned to the XI after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Goalkeeper Jamie McCabe was also deemed fit enough to start, and Liam Trotter replaced Sean Borland at right-back.

Lightning-Fast Start

It took just 60 seconds for the deadlock to be broken, and United forward Stuart Heenan was the man to give his side the lead. A wicked delivery from the right boot of Adam Carnwath was inch-perfect for the onrushing Heenan to steer back across goal with his head and wrongfoot Saints keeper Evan Anderson in a lightning-fast start for the Young Terrors.

 
Nifty footwork from Bryan Mwangi saw him waltz into the St Mirren half unchallenged and tee up his colleague Adam Carnwath down the left who executed a sharp shift away from Callum Penman and sent a long-distance drive inches over the crossbar.
 
On 16 minutes, a Rory MacLeod cross-cum-shot whistled millimetres past the far post as the tangerine onslaught continued.

Warning Shots

However, the Buddies fired two warning shots at the midway point of the first period. First, Penman’s pinpoint cross was wastefully volleyed over by Elliot Dunlop under little pressure, then Donald was forced to intervene – deflecting Ethan Sutherland’s driven strike wide for a corner - after putting teammate Bertie in a tight spot which led to him losing possession just outside the area.
 
Heenan had a chance to double his tally for the evening when he showed Nathan Porter a clean pair of heels as United broke from a Saints corner but pulled the trigger too early leading to an easy save for Anderson.
 
United stopper McCabe redeemed himself immediately after spilling a corner at the feet of Owen Foster, producing two fine reaction saves from point-blank range as the visitors’ number four desperately scrambled to turn the ball over the line.
 
Diminutive frontman Heenan has a knack for scoring headers despite his small stature, and almost bagged his second of the game with a glancing effort from Scott Constable’s delivery, the ball unfortunately sliding the wrong side of the post.

 
On the stroke of half-time there were tangible claims for a penalty when Carnwath was clumsily bundled over by Penman in the area but the referee showed little interests in United’s appeals.

Youthful Reinforcements At The Break

Josh Holt and Owen Emslie, 14 and 15 respectively, were introduced from the bench at half-time as Donald and Trotter were withdrawn as part of their recouperation from injury.

 
With 54 minutes played the Paisley outfit fashioned half-chance as physically-imposing striker Aiden Gilmartin raced in behind to collect a pass from influential Dunlop but his low effort flashed across the face of goal, failing to trouble McCabe.
 
Gilmartin was then denied by the keeper from less than six-yards out after a frantic scramble in the United area caused by hesitancy from McCabe to come and collect a bouncing ball.

Saints Draw Level

St Mirren would eventually get their equaliser with 66 minutes on the clock. A miscued clearance from the United defence was recycled wide for Dunlop whose cross looked to be behind Sutherland but the 16-year-old produced an outstanding, acrobatic effort to find the top corner from 12 yards.
 
There was almost an instant response from the Young Terrors as Mwangi left Penman for dead down the left before standing the ball up to the back post for Heenan who sent yet another header over the bar.

Probing For A Winner

Heenan was at the heart of the action again as the match entered the closing stages, collecting a delicate dink from MacLeod over the Saints defence and sending a vicious strike just wide of the mark after cutting back onto his left foot.
 
MacLeod’s distribution continued to leave the opposition chasing shadows, this time his delightful, whipped pass in behind Porter falling perfectly into the stride of Mwangi down the right. The winger twisted his man inside out and found substitute Owen Stirton in the middle but he failed to make meaningful contact with the cross, eventually a comfortable save for Anderson.
 
The final chance for the hosts to take all three points landed at the feet of 15-year-old midfielder Constable as he sized up an Mwangi lay-off at the edge of the D but got his angles all wrong and blazed over the crossbar.
 
A point apiece at Gussie in a match which United could perhaps feel unfortunate not to take home maximum points.

Teamlines

United: McCabe, Trotter, Simpson, Moore, Donald, Bertie, Mwangi, Constable, Carnwath, MacLeod, Heenan (Lowe, Haldane, Emslie, Stirton, Holt)

St Mirren: Anderson, Logue, Penman, Foster, N.Porter, Delvin, Dunlop, R.Porter, Gilmartin, Grady, Sutherland (Smyth, Shiels, McEvoy, Phinn, Mooney)