Dundee Utd 1
Hibernian 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Not an afternoon to savour as we slumped to our first home defeat of the season. There was an early warning for us after only three minutes when George McCluskey prodded past from a good position and four minutes later Billy Thomson saved well from an Andy Watson shot from the edge of the box. We retaliated with a shot from Kevin Gallacher which Rough saved and a flick, again from Kevin Gallacher, which sailed tantalising wide of the far post. Hibs, however, continued to carry the game to us and in 31 minutes took the lead. Andy Watson cut in from the left and from the rectangle of the penalty box slammed the ball into the top right hand corner. The turning point of the match came in the 44th minute when lain Ferguson chipped the ball home, only to find Kevin Gallacher pulled up for off-side.

We resumed the second half on the offensive. Paul Sturrock and Ian McPhee both going close and our pressure paid off ultimately in the 56th minute, in the most fortuitous of ways. A cross from Ian McPhee found lain Ferguson at the far post. His attempt at goal went square and struck the head of a postrate Paul Hegarty to draw us level. It was a situation we didn't have time to enjoy for long. A couple of minutes later George McCluskey burst through to hammer the ball past Billy Thomson from around 15 yards. There" was some re-organisation in the Tannadice ranks with Maurice Malpas moving into midfield. With 20 minutes left Iain Ferguson was only just off target from close in, but that was our last real opportunity to equalise, so Hibs achieved only their second Premier Division victory from twenty-three visits.