Dundee Utd 1
Rangers 2
Friendly

Match Report

All five summer close season signings had a delayed start to their Tannadice debuts as the game kicked off 67 minutes later due to a fault in the fire alarm system. When proceedings did get under way.the teams understandably took a little time to get into their stride after the long hold-up.

United had the better of the first half chances with Robbie Winters posing the main threat to an Ibrox side without many of its top names, but still with a formidable looking line-up, containing four ex-Tannadice men. Only Craig Moore's late intervention to block Paddy Connolly from a Robbie Winters assist prevented United going ahead and then Robbie himself brought out a save from Billy Thomson from his shot on the turn after the best move of the match.

The closest Rangers had come was when Alex Cleland drilled in an angled shot which Ally Maxwell tipped away - a feat not recognised by the referee who awarded a goal kick. The second half started with a bang with Billy Thomson immediately clutching a Robbie Winters shot. Then eight minutes into the second period, United went ahead. David Hannah rose to head for goal, but Billy Thomson brilliantly palmed the ball away, but Steven Pressley was on hand to scramble the ball into the net to score against his former colleagues.

The former United was back in action just a couple of minutes later to tip away David Hannah's shot as United appeared to be gaining the upper hand. But two crazy minutes were to change the whole complexion of the contest. There looked to be no danger when Steven Pressley directed a pass back towards Ally Maxwell, but when the keeper tried to clear it all he succeeded in doing was driving the ball against Gordon Durie and it rebounded into the empty net. A minute later a Gordan Petrić free-kick from 30 yards beat the wall and Ally Maxwell to turn the tables on United. United Jought valiantly until the end with Scott Crabbe striking one just wide, but that was as near as we came to securing a deserved draw.