Dundee Utd 4
Cowdenbeath 1
League Cup (Group C)

Match Report

For the second successive season, United faced a home game against Cowdenbeath in the group stages of the Betfred Cup. United made three changes from the game against Buckie Thistle, with Tam Scobbie, Scott Fraser and Matty Smith coming in for James Keatings, Patrick N’Koyi and Mark Durnan, all of whom were injured.

United started the game well, although for all their possession it took them over ten minutes to create the first chance of the game. Sam Stanton took possession outside the area, and hit a powerful left foot shot that David McGurn in the Cowdenbeath goal did well to block. Paul McMullan then saw a cross blocked by the away defence, although for all United’s possession and control of the game they did not create many other chances in the early stages of the game. The first goal came after half an hour. After another good period of possession, on the edge of the Cowdenbeath box Billy King slipped the ball through to Sam Stanton, who slid the ball past McGurn to give United a deserved lead. It was Stanton’s first goal for the club. The goal did galvanise Cowdenbeath into action, and soon after the United goal Matthew McInally hit the bar with a mishit cross which had Harry Lewis scrambling.

United’s second goal came within the first minute of the second half. It came on the break, with Matty Smith robbing the Cowdenbeath defence before passing the ball to Billy King around 40 yards from goal, who drove towards the box and sent a chip over substitute keeper Joe McGovern from the edge of the area. Cowdenbeath did have their first shot in target five minutes later, when Robertson Buchanan hit a shot from the edge of the box, but Harry Lewis made a comfortable save. The home side continued to dominate the game, and former United keeper McGovern had to look sharp to block a Paul McMullen shot. However, the third goal eventually came from the penalty spot midway through the second half. Jamie Robson was knocked off the ball by Jamie Pyper, and Scott Fraser sent McGovern the wrong way from the spot kick to score his first goal of the season. Completely against the run of play, after 76 minutes Cowdenbeath were allowed back into the game. After the United defence had failed to clear their lines, a Shaun Rutherford cross was allowed to get into the six yard box, allowing Cameron Muirhead to reduce the deficit by hitting a low but fierce shot which nutmegged Lewis. This was the first goal Dundee United had conceded in the season. With ten minutes to go, United restored their three goal cushion. Billy King hit a low shot from the edge of the box which McGovern was only able to palm straight back into play, and Matty Smith slammed home the rebound, becoming the second player to score his first goal for United in the game. That was the end of the scoring, although United did have a couple of further chances before full time.

The win took United to nine points, making their qualification for the next round a near certainty ahead of the upcoming derby against Dundee.

Match report written by Derek Keilloh