Standard 1
Dundee Utd 0
UEFA Cup (1st Round 1st Leg)

Match Report

Standard Liege were, in fact, our first opponents from Belgium in 1978. It was the U.E.F.A. Cup tie and the first leg should have been staged in Liege. However, crowd trouble in the previous season had resulted in U.E.F.A. ordering Standard to play at least away, so the tie was switched to Ghent, home of La Gantoise. Around 15,000 exuberant fans saw United and Standard piped on to the field by two Black Watch kilted pipers. Billy Kirkwood played at right back and Smith and Robinson tok up midfield roles.

United almost went in front after only 6 minutes when right-back Geretsf handled a Robinson header just outside the box. Payne bent the kick round the Belgian wall and it required a desperate dive by Treud-Homme, who touched the ball over the bar. United suffered an early blow when Graham Payne was injured and had to be substituted after only 16 minutes. The Liege bugles were in full blast in the 39th minute when Standard went ahead. Graf began the move and his shot was parried by Hamtsh McAlpine but Mathieu Denicr followed up to net the game's only goal. To crown an unhappy first half, Paul Sturrock was stretchered off seconds from the interval following a brutal tackle by Theo Poel who was booked.

United resumed taking theme to Liege but in 52 minutes it was the Belgians who looked dangerous when McAlpine was forced to push a shot from Wellens round the post for a corner. Three minutes later Billy Kirkwood became the second player booked in the game when he pushed Wellens to the ground after the centre had committed a foul on McAlpine. Four minutes later the United 'keeper also entered the black book, presumably for saying something to the referee after he had given a foul against Frank Kopel just outside the United penalty area. In 63 minutes, Hegarty had a powerful header well saved by the Belgian keeper from a Robinson corner and the Tannadice men were not taking their misfortune lying down. Addison tested the Belgian keeper with a long ranger as United pushed forward at every opportunity with Kirkwood and Hegarty as much in attack as defence. Just before the end, a Frye header was only inches away from gaining United the draw they fully deserved.