Dundee Utd 3
Dunfermline 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Justice was seen to be done when we collected both points after Saturday's abandonment when we led 2-1. Dunfermline had marginally the better of the first half, but only until we scored. In the 17th minute Ross Jack failed to get enough power behind a header from an O'Boyle cross and only minutes later a flying save from Alan Main kept out a Paul Smith shot from the edge of the box. Our best chance up until our goal came when Maurice Malpas found Darren Jackson deep in the Pars penalty area. Rhodes blocked his shot and Paddy Connolly blasted the loose ball wide. Three minutes later we did go ahead. Hamish French sent in a cross from the left was headed down by Paddy Connolly to Dave Bowman who forced the ball over the line.

Any hopes Dunfermline had of salvaging something from the game all but disappeared two minutes into the second half. Billy McKinlay picked up a clearance from his corner on the right and drove the ball into the back of the box where newcomer Gijs Steinmann first timed a right foot shot low past Rhodes near post. Dunfermline did have a good chance four minutes later, but Alan Main palmed away a Ross Jack header at his right hand post. From then on we were in command and Hamish French finished off a surging left wing run by cutting in before releasing a glorious shot bound for the top right corner until Rhodes finger-tipped the ball to safety. It wasn't quite all United though and Alan Main made a good save from O'Boyle. In the last quarter of an hour however, we completely dominated. Freddy Van Der Hoorn fired a shot wide and a minute later a delightful one-two between Mixu Paatelainen and Darren Jackson saw Rhodes react quickly to save at Darren's feet. We finally got a third goal with seven minutes left and no one deserved to score more than Hamish French who had an outstanding match. Freddy Van Der Hoorn played a long free-kick which Mixu Paatelainen headed on to Hamish French who eventually squeezed the ball past Rhodes into the net. By then Dunfermline were a spent force as we recorded our biggest League win at Tannadice since we beat Hibs here 4-1 in December 1988.