MATCH REPORT | YOUNG TERRORS UNDONE BY QUICKFIRE JAMBOS DOUBLE

DUNDEE UNITED 0-2 HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN
CAS UNDER-18S ELITE LEAGUE
7PM FRIDAY 9TH DECEMBER
GUSSIE PARK

Heart of Midlothian were the visitors to Gussie Park as the Young Terrors contested their final home match of 2022.

Stuart Heenan’s header secured a point for United in the last meeting between the sides in an end-to-end affair, 2-2 the final score at Oriam with Sam Cleall-Harding also on target from the spot.

Line-Up 

14-year-old rising star Josh Holt was given the nod by Head Coach Ryan Moon to make his first start for the U18s with skipper Craig Moore missing from the matchday squad, and Arron Donald returned to the XI after another short-term spell on the sidelines with injury.

 
Midfielder Alan Domeracki made the bench, as did 15-year-old Owen Stirton, who scored on his full debut for the Young Terrors in the Scottish FA Youth Cup victory over Clachnacuddin.
 
Hearts deployed a 5-3-2 with attacking-minded wingbacks who pushed up the park as far as possible, whilst wider centre-midfielders Matthew Gillies and Gregor Crookston filled into the vacated space. Ryan Duncan was given a free role to roam the attacking third, and strike partners James Wilson and Gus Stevenson looked to stretch the game with opportunist runs in behind the United defence.
 
It took only 120 seconds for Jamie McCabe’s gloves to be warmed as he met Ryan Duncan’s 25-yard free-kick with a strong, two-handed save following a clumsy foul on James Wilson by Arron Donald.
 
McCabe had to be alert once more when Matthew Gillies diverted a close-range header from a corner into the ground, with the ball spinning up towards the top corner before the United stopper intervened.

The Young Terrors eventually fashioned a half-chance on 17 minutes following a fluid, sweeping move from left to right involving Sean Borland, Bryan Mwangi and Stuart Heenan, with the latter seeing his dangerous ball across the face of goal cut out by Kai Smutek before it reached Conor May for a tap-in.
 
Hesitancy from McCabe presented Duncan an opportunity to open the scoring as he latched onto a long ball forward from Rocco Friel inside the area, but could only fashion a weak, unorthodox effort which was relatively comfortable for the keeper to thwart.
 
Gregor Crookston was in the thick of the action twice in quick succession, first sending an audacious strike from 30 yards which whistled over the crossbar, then dispossessing United left-back Ollie Simpson before teeing up Wilson in the area. The Jambos’ number 12 got his strike away sharply, however Liam Trotter raced across the box to put a well-timed block in.

Quickfire Double

The opening goal came after 27 minutes, as United were architects of their own downfall. McCabe opted to go long from a goal-kick but failed to allow time for his defence to raise their line. Therefore, Callum Hambrook was able to collect the first-contact header from Smutek in a positive position whilst remaining onside, and he took one touch before picking out the top corner from long-range.
 
It was a quickfire double for the Edinburgh outfit, this time captain Kenzi Nair meeting Duncan’s wide free-kick just five yards out to nod home after the cross was missed by McCabe. Two goals in as many minutes for Hearts.

 
Holt came close to finding the back of the net on his full debut for the U18s after being picked out by a Heenan cutback but his first-time effort from the penalty spot was blocked in close vicinity to the goal line by Hearts goalscorer Nair.

Spot-kick Shouts

On the stroke of half-time, the hosts were screaming for handball against Smutek but the referee deemed Heenan’s cross was made too close to the Hearts defender to penalise him.
 
Another penalty claim for United was turned down with 56 minutes on the clock, Heenan again involved as Friel untidily bundled him to the floor – again the referee not interested.
 
The Jambos could’ve ended the match as a contest when Trotter’s hesitancy to clear the ball up the line led to him being pickpocketed by Hambrook who then burst into the area. Lucklily, McCabe was equal to the fierce strike from an acute angle and the referee failed to spot a tug on the shoulder of the Hearts number seven from Keir Bertie.

Chances Beginning To Flow

Into the final ten minutes, Bertie had a close-range trivela blocked by Nair after a scramble caused by substitute Owen Stirton’s header from a corner, whilst at the other end Nair’s cross hit the post before falling to Smutek who had his shot smothered by the keeper.

 
United continued to probe for a way back into the game as stoppage time loomed, with Heenan forcing a save from Hearts stopper Scott Cowie with a long-distance free-kick. The diminutive frontman and keeper clashed once more as the former latched onto a long punt downfield by McCabe but couldn’t find a way past his opponent who raced off his line to snuff out the danger.
 
An unspectacular encounter at Gussie, with both sides unable to fashion clear sightings of goal throughout the 90 minutes -the difference in the end was two lapses in concentration from the hosts which is to be expected with a squad featuring numerous players plying their trade multiple years above their age group.

Teamlines

United: McCabe, Trotter, Simpson, Donald, Bertie, Constable, Holt, Borland, May, Mwangi, Heenan (Domeracki, Haldane, Carnwath, Stirton, Emslie)

Heart of Midlothian: Cowie, Friel, Anderson, Gillies, Smutek, Crookston, Hambrook, Duncan, Wilson, Stevenson, Nair (Wilkie, Hogarth, Ross, Burn, Muirhead, Plesiewicz, Walker)