Dundee Utd 4
Morton 0
League (First Division)

Match Report

Boosted by the return of skipper Dave Bowman from suspension, United had this top of the table clash won by half-time after a breath-taking opening 45 minutes. However, before United had established their supremacy, the visitors might well have been two in front. Warren Hawke strode through the middle of the Tannadice rearguard to unleash a volley which had goal written all over it until Ally Maxwell miraculously finger-tipped the ball for a comer. A minute later, a slip by Mark Perry let Hawke in again, but Ally Maxwell was at close quarters to block the striker's effort.

Thereafter, United stamped their authority on the game in no uncertain manner. Craig Brewster proceeded to score two goals in less than ten minutes to effectively kill off the opposition. The first after ten minutes was almost a re-run of his goal at East End. Again Owen Coyle was the provider and once more a cracking left-foot shot from the edge of the box by Craig Brewster beat the keeper. Nine routes later the tall United striker could pick his spot to head past Andre Boe when Jamie McQuilken's cross from the left arrived.

Goal number three arrived on the half hour mark. Mark Perry played a great ball up the right-hand touch-line to Robbie Winters whose cross was met by Craig Brewster. Boe denied him his hat-trick, but Gary McSwegan followed up to finish in devastating fashion from 12 yards. Only a great save by Andre Boe from Owen Coyle stopped United's lead being extended to four five minutes form the break as the visitor's continued to be put through the mill. The second half was something of an anticlimax.

After being so assertive in the first half, Morton took the initiative at the start of the second and could easily have pulled a goal back, but instead donated United a fourth after an hours play. Collins and Boe got in a right tangle as Owen Coyle made a run, leaving the United man to tap the ball into an empty net. That killed the game and any further excitement stone dead, although Craig Brewster would have bagged a hat-trick had Collins not cleared his lob off the line with what was virtually the last the kick of the game.

It was an emphatic victory over the team who had temporarily dislodged United at the top.