Aberdeen 5
Dundee Utd 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Following United's win over Viking Stavanger and being drawn against West German side Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup 3rd round draw yesterday, United returned to League duty with a trip to Pittodrie. Iain Phillip, who had to have six stitches inserted in a leg gash suffered in that win over Stavanger, missed out with Maurice Malpas coming back into the side. Eamonn Bannon also returned, having missed five matches through injury.

After a dull opening spell it was United who broke the deadlock when Richard Gough made an unchallenged run into the box to meet a Ralph Milne free-kick and head into the net after 20 minutes, giving Jim Leighton no chance. Neale Cooper equalised four minutes later, latching onto a second rebound to beat Hamish McAlpine with a low shot from 15 yards. McAlpine prevented Cooper scoring a second with a fine save a few minutes later. Aberdeen took the lead in 29 minutes when Doug Rougvie met a Peter Weir corner kick at the far post to head home. And with two minutes of the first half remaining, Doug Rougvie bundled the ball into the net from another Weir corner.

United were really struggling with Aberdeen's set pieces, and in the 72nd minute they conceded from another Weir corner kick, this time Eric Black the scorer. With five minutes to go Gordon Strachan worked the ball into the United penalty area and side-footed a shot just inside the far post for Aberdeen's fifth. This was United's first League defeat in 12 matches, and their heaviest defeat since October 1976. The result meant that Aberdeen leapfrogged United into second place, with both teams now three points behind leaders Celtic.