Dundee 1
Dundee Utd 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

For the second successive midweek fixture, Paddy Connolly struck what proved to be a second half winner and give United their first away victory in the League since the second Saturday of the season. Yet it was the relegation threatened Dark Blues who made the running in the early stages and they really ought to have taken the lead in the third minute when Czachowski's shot cum cross beat Guido Van de Kamp, but Tosh ran in and scooped the ball over the bar. United soon regained their composure€ after that opening burst and Mathers had to tip over a Gordan Petric header from a Billy McKinlay corner. When the United midfielder delivered the second corner the ball drifted past the far post. Paddy Connolly ran to collect it and laid the ball back into Dave Bowman's path and he whipped over a first time cross from which Craig Brewster headed down past Mathers from inside the six yard box. Dundee's vulnerability at corner kicks continued when Brian Welsh sent in a header which Mathers tipped on to the bar and over for another corner to cap an incident packed opening twenty minut€es. Dundee almost got back on level terms when Guido van de Kamp mis-kicked a clearance to Czachowski, but United's Dutch keeper managed to scamper back to hold the Pole's attempted lob. Two minutes later Guido had to react swiftly to palm away a shot from Billy Dodds from a Farningham cut-back.

The game went into a comparative lull and though United dominated the early stages of the second period, it was Dundee who struck back with a goal similar to United's opener in their first attack after the interval. Dodds played the ball out to Frail and Farningham stooped to head in the cross from the right. Christian Dailly replaced Alex Cleland with 25 minutes to go as frost began to make the Dens Park playing surface very tricky indeed. The United substitutes first contribution was a powerful header which flew over from a Billy McKinlay corner which again demonstrated their susceptibility to such set pieces. However, when United did get their winner, it came from open play. Guido van de Kamp hoisted a clearance up field. Craig Brewster flicked the ball on with his head. Kevin Bain sliced an attempted clearance and the ball bounced to Paddy Connolly on the edge of the box with Mathers having advanced far off his line. The United striker, Paddy Connolly, simply lobbed the ball over the Dundee keeper and into the empty net to secure our 29th win after this fiftieth Premier contest.