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LOYALTY PERIOD EXTENDED
29th April 2024
It took a little while for this match to warm up, with twelve minutes gone before Killie's Sloan hit a snap shot well over the top from eight yards out. Four minutes later, Bell fed the ball to Easton but his attempt was taken by the keeper who was well placed to gather. On twenty minutes, McCann did very well to parry a powerful McGregor snap shot and a minute later, Naismith was just a foot wide as he tried to divert the ball into the net from a Campbell cross.
Half way through the first half, Gardiner was out of luck with a speculative effort from twenty-five yards and as United began to string some passes together, they worked the only goal of the match on the half hour mark. In the best move of the game, Conway laid the ball inside to Callaghan who then laced a reverse pass into the box for Bell (pictured). He then side-stepped the advancing keeper and slipped the ball into the net from the tightest of angles.
A minute later Conway made an excellent run down the right and forced his way into the box but his pass found an opponent who cleared and with ten minutes of the half remaining, Jarvis swung in a corner that Bell got his head to but the ball was deflected over the bar for another corner. Right on half time Cochrane of Kilmarnock was unlucky when he met a corner with his head only for the ball to hit one of his own players and bounce away to safety.
Immediately the second half began, the visitors went on the attack and Boyle hit the post with a header. Five minutes later, McAleenan showed his confidence on the ball as he broke from midfield and beat four opponents on a run into the box before the ball was finally cleared for a corner. A Conway snap shot went over the top and at the other end Campbell miscued an effort wide.
Killie tried to increase the pressure on the hour mark and a corner kick went right through a crowded area but there were no takers. Campbell then fired a powerful shot wide and McGregor just failed to connect with his head on an inswinging corner. Callaghan found Conway with a delightful pass over the defence but the striker failed to control the ball in a good position. Then, with twenty minutes left Andrew found space in the area but the keeper did enough to get the ball away, only as far as Jarvis who then screwed a shot wide.
With ten minutes left Campbell powered a header wide and then Cochrane did the same just before substitute Gilroy hit an effort off target. The very last chance of the game fell to Andrew but his attempt was saved.
In the end United must consider themselves fortunate to have taken all three points from a game in which they struggled a bit to get going. Coach Tony Docherty said after the match "That was almost a complete reversal of what happened in our last game at Livingston where we had all the best chances but they won the match by a single goal. Today it was the opposite. I think we were poor and Killie had a lot of chances and could have beaten us had they taken them. But that's football and we'll take the three points. On the positive side I'd say our defence did well and the strikers tried hard and we will keep working on the areas where we perhaps didn't do so well."
United : McCann, Abbott, McAleenan, Smith, Kenneth (Hunter 72), Gardiner. Callaghan, Bell, Conway, Jarvis, Easton (Andrew 61).
Subs Not Used : McDonald, Burnett.
Half way through the first half, Gardiner was out of luck with a speculative effort from twenty-five yards and as United began to string some passes together, they worked the only goal of the match on the half hour mark. In the best move of the game, Conway laid the ball inside to Callaghan who then laced a reverse pass into the box for Bell (pictured). He then side-stepped the advancing keeper and slipped the ball into the net from the tightest of angles.
A minute later Conway made an excellent run down the right and forced his way into the box but his pass found an opponent who cleared and with ten minutes of the half remaining, Jarvis swung in a corner that Bell got his head to but the ball was deflected over the bar for another corner. Right on half time Cochrane of Kilmarnock was unlucky when he met a corner with his head only for the ball to hit one of his own players and bounce away to safety.
Immediately the second half began, the visitors went on the attack and Boyle hit the post with a header. Five minutes later, McAleenan showed his confidence on the ball as he broke from midfield and beat four opponents on a run into the box before the ball was finally cleared for a corner. A Conway snap shot went over the top and at the other end Campbell miscued an effort wide.
Killie tried to increase the pressure on the hour mark and a corner kick went right through a crowded area but there were no takers. Campbell then fired a powerful shot wide and McGregor just failed to connect with his head on an inswinging corner. Callaghan found Conway with a delightful pass over the defence but the striker failed to control the ball in a good position. Then, with twenty minutes left Andrew found space in the area but the keeper did enough to get the ball away, only as far as Jarvis who then screwed a shot wide.
With ten minutes left Campbell powered a header wide and then Cochrane did the same just before substitute Gilroy hit an effort off target. The very last chance of the game fell to Andrew but his attempt was saved.
In the end United must consider themselves fortunate to have taken all three points from a game in which they struggled a bit to get going. Coach Tony Docherty said after the match "That was almost a complete reversal of what happened in our last game at Livingston where we had all the best chances but they won the match by a single goal. Today it was the opposite. I think we were poor and Killie had a lot of chances and could have beaten us had they taken them. But that's football and we'll take the three points. On the positive side I'd say our defence did well and the strikers tried hard and we will keep working on the areas where we perhaps didn't do so well."
United : McCann, Abbott, McAleenan, Smith, Kenneth (Hunter 72), Gardiner. Callaghan, Bell, Conway, Jarvis, Easton (Andrew 61).
Subs Not Used : McDonald, Burnett.
