Kilmarnock 2
Dundee Utd 3
League (SPL)

Match Report

Johnny Russell was the hat-trick hero as United returned to winning ways to boost top six aspirations. The single goal victory in no way adequately reflected United's superiority and only the two conceded goals, and in particular the manner of them, both from corners, took the gloss of a great team display.

With 15 minutes gone, GMS showed how delighted he was to be back in action and provided a champagne moment with a sublime piece of skill with both his head and foot to leave two defenders in his wake before being fouled! So it was all the more frustrating that United went behind three minutes later and not for the first time the source was a set piece. From their first corner taken by Dayton, the United defence failed to clear their lines. And after a Danny Racchi effort was blocked, Manuel Pascali rammed home the rebound from inside the six-yard box. Two minutes from the interval, United deservedly levelled. Watson's deep cross on the run was cleared by Ryan O'Leary under pressure from Daly, but only to Johnny Russell who rammed the ball first time low into the net from 12 yards.

On the hour mark, Rado was tested for the first time when Rory McKeown worked his way into the box and the United keeper did well to beat away his sweetly struck shot. Three minutes later, we did get a goal and it was United who got it. Again it came from a Watson cross from the right and again it was Johnny Russell who scored directing a downward header past an exposed Cammy Bell.
With four minutes left, GMS was replaced by Rudi Skacel and within a minute, it was game set and match when Johnny Russell ran on to a long ball from Douglas out of defence to confidently steer the ball into the far corner to complete his hat-trick. Spoiling an otherwise near perfect afternoon, United conceded a last gasp goal from another corner with Pascali bundling the ball over the line at the front post.