A tremendous save by Kilmarnock keeper Colin Meldrum in the last minute of the match prevented United from taking all three points as they staged a fantastic fightback at Rugby Park this afternoon.
Top scorer Steven Thompson had made a surging run through the home defence and fired in a powerful shot that forced a wonderful stop from the Killie keeper. A win would have been perhaps more than the visitors deserved however United, playing in their new black Centenary strip, could rightly claim that they had deserved more in recent matches against the Rugby Park side and had taken nothing.
United started well and the match was end to end in the opening twenty minutes however Jim Jeffries's side began to look more energetic and started to dominate the match with Paul Gallacher making some superb stops to keep Killie out. It came as no surprise however when Mitchell put the home side ahead just before the break with a looping header.
Paul Jarvie replaced Paul Gallacher at the interval as Manager Smith had suggested he might do and before United Under-21 had time to draw breath, slack defending at a corner let Innes in to score and the Tannadice side were staring at yet another 0-2 defeat by Kilmarnock.
A headed goal by Thompson from an O'Donnell cross put United back into the match and Killie were floundering as the tangerine & black visitors pounded the home defence. Just when Kilmarnock thought they might have weathered the storm, a spectacular Craig Easton (pictured) drive gave United a deserved equaliser.
With Dundee being beaten at Fir Park by Motherwell, this result provided Arab fans with the added pleasure of finishing above their city rivals in the SPL.
UNITED: Gallacher, Easton, Miller, Paterson, Aljofree, Griffin, Venetis, Thompson, McIntyre, McCracken, Duff
Subs: Jarvie, Winters, McConalogue, Carson, O'Donnell.
For a detailed match report, click onto RESULTS on the menu bar.