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NINE TROPHIES SCOOPED AT DUNDEE UNITED'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
6th May 2024
Dundee United tonight completed an amazing Glasgow double by following Saturday's semi-final win with a stunning win at Ibrox, thus lifting themselves off the bottom of the league. Stuart Duff's early header separated the sides at the end of a frantic ninety minutes, but what really won the game for the Terrors was gutsy defending, superb goalkeeping and a tremendous team effort - plus a fair share of overdue good fortune.
Manager Gordon Chisholm re-shaped his side following the win over Hibs, reverting to four at the back. Collin Samuel was a surprise inclusion in the starting eleven - in place of Stevie Crawford - but his pace and trickery on the right side of a five man midfield proved a useful outlet for United's weary defence, as Rangers piled forward following Duff's early opener.
Only seven minutes were on the clock when McIntyre won the ball at the left corner flag. His cut-back found Duff racing into the box and while Watterous parried his first effort, the midfielder kept his composure to head home the rebound. Rangers fought back and on the quarter hour mark Novo missed the first of two great chances for the equaliser, blazing over from six yards. But his miss was to be trumped three minutes later: Namouchi dummied Bullock and squared for Prso but the Croatian slid the ball wide with essentially an open goal at his mercy. United regrouped and for much of the rest of the half looked solid at the back, though launching only occasional counter attacks. Five minutes before half time, from one of these rare forays forward Wilson found McIntyre at the edge of the box, but the big striker took too long to get a shot away and the chance was lost. Novo, whose pace had threatened to breach the United rearguard before was finally put through by Ricksen, but Bullock came out to narrow the angle and completed a superb block to ensure his team went in at half time a goal to the good.
Straight after half time Bullock was called back into action pulling off an amazing one handed save to deny Novo from six yards. At the other end Rangers continued to look shaky and Kyrgiakos almost allowed McIntyre through on goal, misjudging a long clearance.
That half chance apart, United were struggling to break out of defence, and when Bullock was found in no-mans land after punching clear Novo looked certain to score with a looping header - but Paul Ritchie pulled off a tremendous goal-line clearance, heading away from just under the bar. Rangers threw on Arveladze and Lovenkrands, then later Thompson to try and change things, as it looked like United had weathered the storm. But there was more to come for the beleaguered tangerine defence. Deflections and goal mouth scrambles for a change all seemed to go United's way. The left boot of Tony Bullock was all that denied Steven Thompson, then Arveladze completed a hat-trick of extraordinary Rangers misses by heading over from two yards. When Bullock pulled off another two top class saves to deny Prso and Kyrgiakos it was clear this was to be United's night.
Away from the bottom of the table, a Uefa cup spot secured and a cup final reached - not a bad four days work!
Teams:
Rangers: Waterreus, Ricksen, A Rae, Prso, Novo, Malcolm (Thompson 81), Kyrgiakos, Ball, Ross, Vignal (Lovenkrands 62), Namouchi (Averladze 57).
Subs Not Used: McGregor, Khizanishvili, Burke, McCormack.
Dundee United: Bullock, Wilson , Archibald, Kerr, Brebner, Samuel (Crawford 64), McIntyre (Grady 90), Robson, Duff, Ritchie, Kenneth.
Subs not Used: Colgan, Dodds, Scotland, Callaghan, Robertson.
Attendance: 49,302
Referee: Iain Brines.
Man of the Match: Tony Bullock. A superb team effort, but keeper Bullock was outstanding.
Read the full match report by Stuart McDonald.
Manager Gordon Chisholm re-shaped his side following the win over Hibs, reverting to four at the back. Collin Samuel was a surprise inclusion in the starting eleven - in place of Stevie Crawford - but his pace and trickery on the right side of a five man midfield proved a useful outlet for United's weary defence, as Rangers piled forward following Duff's early opener.
Only seven minutes were on the clock when McIntyre won the ball at the left corner flag. His cut-back found Duff racing into the box and while Watterous parried his first effort, the midfielder kept his composure to head home the rebound. Rangers fought back and on the quarter hour mark Novo missed the first of two great chances for the equaliser, blazing over from six yards. But his miss was to be trumped three minutes later: Namouchi dummied Bullock and squared for Prso but the Croatian slid the ball wide with essentially an open goal at his mercy. United regrouped and for much of the rest of the half looked solid at the back, though launching only occasional counter attacks. Five minutes before half time, from one of these rare forays forward Wilson found McIntyre at the edge of the box, but the big striker took too long to get a shot away and the chance was lost. Novo, whose pace had threatened to breach the United rearguard before was finally put through by Ricksen, but Bullock came out to narrow the angle and completed a superb block to ensure his team went in at half time a goal to the good.
Straight after half time Bullock was called back into action pulling off an amazing one handed save to deny Novo from six yards. At the other end Rangers continued to look shaky and Kyrgiakos almost allowed McIntyre through on goal, misjudging a long clearance.
That half chance apart, United were struggling to break out of defence, and when Bullock was found in no-mans land after punching clear Novo looked certain to score with a looping header - but Paul Ritchie pulled off a tremendous goal-line clearance, heading away from just under the bar. Rangers threw on Arveladze and Lovenkrands, then later Thompson to try and change things, as it looked like United had weathered the storm. But there was more to come for the beleaguered tangerine defence. Deflections and goal mouth scrambles for a change all seemed to go United's way. The left boot of Tony Bullock was all that denied Steven Thompson, then Arveladze completed a hat-trick of extraordinary Rangers misses by heading over from two yards. When Bullock pulled off another two top class saves to deny Prso and Kyrgiakos it was clear this was to be United's night.
Away from the bottom of the table, a Uefa cup spot secured and a cup final reached - not a bad four days work!
Teams:
Rangers: Waterreus, Ricksen, A Rae, Prso, Novo, Malcolm (Thompson 81), Kyrgiakos, Ball, Ross, Vignal (Lovenkrands 62), Namouchi (Averladze 57).
Subs Not Used: McGregor, Khizanishvili, Burke, McCormack.
Dundee United: Bullock, Wilson , Archibald, Kerr, Brebner, Samuel (Crawford 64), McIntyre (Grady 90), Robson, Duff, Ritchie, Kenneth.
Subs not Used: Colgan, Dodds, Scotland, Callaghan, Robertson.
Attendance: 49,302
Referee: Iain Brines.
Man of the Match: Tony Bullock. A superb team effort, but keeper Bullock was outstanding.
Read the full match report by Stuart McDonald.
