Dundee Utd 0
Dunfermline 1
League (First Division)

Match Report

The biggest crowd for a First Division match so far rolled up and the 10,000 or so United fans were relishing the prospect that a United victory would effectively mean automatic promotion. Unfortunately, it was not to be with the outcome decided by a soft early goal for the Pars in a match which failed to live up to its billing.

United went into the game unchanged from the side which had won at Firhill five days earlier and you cut the atmosphere with a knife as Dunfermline kicked off in front of the all-ticket crowd. It was to be a game of few chances typified by the goal which came from a defensive blunder. Den Bieman's free-kick into the box carried no apparent danger, but hesitancy between Ally Maxwell and Grant Johnson enabled Stewart Petrie to divert the ball into the net.

The pace was frantic - too frantic to be truthful and Westwater in Pars goal was rarely tested. An Owen Coyle shot with too much elevation and a deflected effort from Brian Welsh was all United could muster in a disappointing first period. Gary McSwegan was replaced by Christian Dailly at the inter/al and within two minutes of his entry, he almost equalised. Dave Bowman floated over a free-kick from the right and Christian's header came back off the face of the bar. A goal then may well have altered the whole course of the game as the visitors realty needing a victory were able to continue their spoiling tactics after being gifted the luxury of that early lead.

United's hopes looked to have received a boost 20 minutes into the second half when Pars' scorer Stewart Petrie was sent off for a second bookable offence, but United's efforts in trying to secure a precious equaliser were no more successful against ten men than they were against eleven! The only exception to that statement came four minutes from the end when Christian Dailly struck the underside of the bar with his header, but the ball stayed out to put Dunfermline firmly in the promotion driving seat!

"I don't think we did enough to win but I didn't feel we deserved to lose either." - Billy Kirkwood