Dundee Utd 2
Partick Th 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Following the disappointing performance against Airdrie, changes were rife in the Tangerines line-up. The most notable ones being the temporary return of Gary Bollan from suspension and Jim McInally and Duncan Ferguson, both fit again. Thistle arrived at Tannadice in the wake of two heavy defeats by Aberdeen and Rangers and soon found themselves under virtual siege conditions. John O'Neil hit a post after ten minutes and Murdoch redeemed himself after giving the ball away from a back-pass to Paddy Connolly by diving at his feet.

And it was the new pass-back rule which was instrumental in us going ahead a minute before the interval. Jamieson pushed the ball back to Murdoch, but John O'Neil nipped in to dispossess the Jags' keeper and went to the bye-line before cutting the ball back for Jim McInally to scramble home.

Although it continued to be even greater one way traffic from there on, a shock was in store for us in the 58th minute when Alan Main's clearance from a back-pass went straight to Gerry Britton who promptly ran in, rounded Alan and slotted the ball into an empty net. Thistle were soon back on the rack and it took a Farningham goal-line clearance from John O'Neil's shot to keep the visitors on level terms. Respite was only temporary, however. When the corner came over John O'Neil slipped the ball home from close range after a Gary Bollan effort had first been blocked. Remarkably, in Thistle's only other attack of the second half Britton ought to have equalised but skied the ball over. In the last ten minutes, we had three golden chances to complete a much more emphatic victory which would have been a more proper reflection of United's superiority throughout the match.