QOS 2
Dundee Utd 3
Challenge Cup (Semi Final)

Match Report

United made the trip south to Palmerston Park with the hope of booking themselves a place in the final of the IRB BRU Cup against either St Mirren or the leaders of the Welsh Premier League The New Saints. McKinnon made three changes with Dillon, Murray, Telfer and Edjenguélé returning to the starting line up. The Doonhamers had a limited squad to chose from with Thomson, Mercer and Rankin all cup tied.

The first few minutes started somewhat shakily for United’s defence but their fortune turned around extremely quickly in the third minute with Charlie Telfer taking his time and carefully placing the ball in the back of the net after a scrap in the box. After the goal, confidence built up across the team with the defence linking up well and plenty positive passes going forward. In the first ten minutes Queens had plenty of crosses into the box as well but Edjenguélé always seemed to be there to deal with the threat. On ten minutes, Scott Fraser doubled United’s lead driving home his own rebounded effort. As the final ten minutes of the half came around Murray and Andreu linked up well with Murray cutting back inside the box and passing it to Tony Andreu who bent the ball into the top left corner. The Doonhamers had the last chance of the half with Stephen Dobbie crossing it across the open face of the goal but Lyle was unable to stick his toe on it which would have surely given Queens their first.

United started the second half comfortably displaying the same dominance that they had shown in the first half but on the 50th minute Queens top scorer Stephen Dobbie slotted it in to give some hope back to the home fans. After having being lifted by their first goal Queens missed numerous clear opportunities to score and United kept a hold of their three goal lead. As the final third came about, Queens piled on the pressure again with them being awarded two corners in the space of three minutes. United’s defence dealt with the pressure well though. In the final five minutes Dixon received a yellow card giving Queens a free kick just outside United’s box level with the penalty spot on the right wing. The free kick was crossed across the face of the goal but once again nobody was there to take the shot. As the game seemed to be coming to an end, Queens took advantage of a United slip up and scored a goal that once again brought hope to the Queens fans for the chance of the game going to extra time - Derek Lyle bundling the ball over the line. The last three minutes were very tense for both sets of fans but United benefited from their performance in the first half and progressed to the final.

Match report written by Alasdair Marnoch