UNDER-18S OUT OF SFA YOUTH CUP

The Young Terrors kicked off their assault on the SFA Youth Cup with a mouth-watering tie against city rivals Dundee at Forfar’s Station Park, accompanied by a smattering of Arabs who’d made the short journey up the A90 in the hopes of watching the stars of tomorrow replicate the first team’s victory over the blue half of Dundee back in September.

Last time out, Ryan Moon’s side demolished Hamilton Accies 0-4 at New Douglas Park, goals coming from four different scorers - Jacob Comerford, Stuart Heenan, Fin Malcolm, and Bryan Mwangi. Two changes were made to the side that contested last Friday’s match in Lanarskire, a full return from injury for left-back Sam Lovie as he replaced Keir Bertie, as well as Dom Naglik filling in for Rory MacLeod who found himself on international duty with Scotland U16s. The changes in personnel also led to a change in system, a twin strike-force rather than the lone frontman usually deployed as United lined up in a 4-4-2.

United started positively, and Heenan almost unlocked the door for Fin Malcolm after just five minutes. The winger received on the half-turn before threading an inch-perfect ball through two dark blue shirts to the onrushing Malcolm in the area, but a covering defender managed to prod the ball away from the 17-year-old before he could pull the trigger. 

The United midfield, particularly Craig Moore, found joy with line breaking passes into the feet of Malcolm to lay off to the advancing wide men, however this effective build-up left the 18-yard box abandoned and the Young Terrors lacked a focal point and depth in their attack when both Malcolm and Naglik came short to link play. 

A teasing Bryan Mwangi delivery on ten minutes was deflected goalward by a ruck of bodies in the area and had to be scrambled off the line by Dundee’s defence with the keeper in no man’s land as United pressed for the opener. 

The tangerine shirts surrounded their opponents when they looked to build from defence, hemming them into the corner to force turnovers and compacting the side of the pitch play was on to win possession back quickly. 

Dundee hit back with a powerful long-range effort which troubled Jamie McCabe in the United net, the keeper gathering the ball at the second time of asking. 

The hosts continued to grow in confidence as the half bore on, and created two clear-cut opportunities before the break. The first saw Dundee’s number nine left in splendid isolation inside the United area to somehow roll his colleagues’ cross narrowly wide of the right-hand post. The striker then turned provider as he linked effectively with number ten, pinning Comerford to knock the ball around the corner back to his teammate, who struck across McCabe as he entered the area forcing the 15-year-old to spring to his left to keep the score level heading into the break. 

United took just 50 seconds after the restart to register a shot on target, the ball breaking the way of Malcolm who failed to beat the keeper one-on-one as the Dundee man spread himself well to save with his right foot. 

Despite this bright start to the second half, it was Dundee who stamped their authority on the match and found the breakthrough around the hour-mark. A lapse in concentration from the combative Layton Bisland allowed the Dees to swarm in and turnover possession on the edge of the area. The ball eventually broke the way of Mitchell Findlay after a scramble to clear who slammed past McCabe on the half-volley to give his side the lead in the Cup tie. 

Bisland had the chance to make amends for his earlier error when Mwangi’s delivery drifted all the way to the back stick but the full-back headed wide from a narrow angle.

Things went from bad to worse for the Young Terrors with just over 15 minutes to play, as Findlay netted his second of the game to put the hosts out of sight. A deep free kick went unchallenged in the United area, falling to a dark blue shirt who side-footed goalward. McCabe managed to claw the ball off the line spectacularly, but the rebound fell to Findlay to cushion home on the full from point-blank range.

United found themselves in promising wide areas as they flooded bodies forward in search of a route back into the tie, but the quality of cross frustrated those in the area and on the touchline with the ball frequently failing to find a tangerine shirt in the mixer.

Lovie however delivered a fabulous cross into the corridor of uncertainty which Heenan connected with, but the winger could only find the chest of Dundee’s goalkeeper with his well-struck volley.

15-year-old Bertie made a promising cameo off the bench, the youngster dictating the tempo and adding class and composure to the midfield with the game becoming increasingly more frantic round about him.

Despite much huffing and puffing, the Under-18s failed to find the net for the first time this season as their city rivals saw out the match and secured their passage into the 3rd round of the SFA Youth Cup.