MATCH REPORT | A PROMOTION PARTY AT TANNADICE
4th May 2024
The Tannadice teenagers tenaciously clawed their way back from two down to almost triumph in Saturday morning's Youth League fixture.
For over an hour at Dalziel Park, United were on the receiving end as Motherwell dominated. When John Paul Grant nonchalantly danced his way past two visiting defenders to pick his spot from 15 yards, it only looked a question of how many the Fir Parkers would win by.
Instead United, with Billy Russell and Keith Watson on for Matti Flynn and Ryan McCord respectively, proceeded to turn the game on its head. Motherwell had taken the lead when Alex Donnelly tapped home an Adam Coakley cross after only five minutes. However that had come immediately after David Goodwillie had been one on with the keeper at the other end, only to be denied by Alexiou.
It wasn't until midway through the second half that United threatened again, Peter Alexiou blocking Marco Andreoni's shot at close range after Goodwilie squared the ball to him. However, a goal was only temporarily delayed. A minute later, Goodwillie profited from chasing what seemed a lost cause when John Kane got in a tangle with his keeper and the United striker ran on to the loose ball and netted from the narrowest of angles. A minute later, it looked as though Marco Andreoni had nicked an equaliser, but was controversially ruled offside. There was no doubt over the legitimacy of the goal that did bring the visitors parity with 19 minutes left, David Gray lashing Ryan O'Hara's cross from the right into the far corner from ten yards, capping a remarkable fight-back.
Dundee United: Gibson, Flynn (Russell 59), Pope, Andreoni, McMechan, Burnett, O'Hara, McCord (Watson 63), Feeney, Goodwillie, Gray. Subs not used: Mathieson, Donnelly Love.
For over an hour at Dalziel Park, United were on the receiving end as Motherwell dominated. When John Paul Grant nonchalantly danced his way past two visiting defenders to pick his spot from 15 yards, it only looked a question of how many the Fir Parkers would win by.
Instead United, with Billy Russell and Keith Watson on for Matti Flynn and Ryan McCord respectively, proceeded to turn the game on its head. Motherwell had taken the lead when Alex Donnelly tapped home an Adam Coakley cross after only five minutes. However that had come immediately after David Goodwillie had been one on with the keeper at the other end, only to be denied by Alexiou.
It wasn't until midway through the second half that United threatened again, Peter Alexiou blocking Marco Andreoni's shot at close range after Goodwilie squared the ball to him. However, a goal was only temporarily delayed. A minute later, Goodwillie profited from chasing what seemed a lost cause when John Kane got in a tangle with his keeper and the United striker ran on to the loose ball and netted from the narrowest of angles. A minute later, it looked as though Marco Andreoni had nicked an equaliser, but was controversially ruled offside. There was no doubt over the legitimacy of the goal that did bring the visitors parity with 19 minutes left, David Gray lashing Ryan O'Hara's cross from the right into the far corner from ten yards, capping a remarkable fight-back.
Dundee United: Gibson, Flynn (Russell 59), Pope, Andreoni, McMechan, Burnett, O'Hara, McCord (Watson 63), Feeney, Goodwillie, Gray. Subs not used: Mathieson, Donnelly Love.
