St Johnstone 2
Dundee Utd 1
Friendly

Match Report

The Muirton terraces were only sparsely filled when the two sides took the field for this friendly. Dundee United almost got off to a glorious start in three minutes when Paul Hegarty met a Paul Sturrock cross with his head but Robertson rose well to clutch the ball safely. At the other end McBean blasted over a low ball but there were no takers. St Johnston newcomers, Ian Taylor ex-Motherwell, and Mick Lawson ex-Stirling Albion, both showed up well in the early stages, Lawson in particular looked dangerous on a number of occasions and in 20 minuted only a last ditch tackle by Frank Kopel thwarted a scoring attempt. But the goal was only delayed for 10 minutes and Lawson played prominently in the build up. He rose above the United defence and nodded on to Gordon McGregor who took half a dozen steps before firing a strong right foot drive past Hamish McAlpine. Houston almost equalised in 33 minutes with a diving header following a Hall cross but the ball went just wide. Micky Lawson put the Saints two ahead in 42 minutes. In a goalmouth scramble the striker got to the ball and slipped it in at the post past McAlpine. United had the ball in the net a minute later but referee Hutton adjudged that Sturrock had fisted it home.

Saints introduced Eric Sellars ex-Arbroath on the right wing to replace Hotson adter the start of the second half. Robertson brought off a brilliant one-handed save from a John Holt shot in 57 minutes following a low dive to his right. United were lucky to survive a strong penalty claim when Sellars was brought down by Kopel as he bored down on goal. United pulled one back through Henry Hall with seven minutes left to play, but could not find the equaliser.