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28th April 2024
United hosted the third Dundee Derby of the season in the hopes of securing the result needed to confirm top six football for the first time since 2014/15.
The last derby at Tannadice ended in delight for the Terrors as Ian Harkes’ 20-yard strike nine minutes from time was enough for the three points.
Tam Courts named an unchanged starting eleven from the match at Easter Road last weekend, the only alterations coming on the bench with Young Terrors Rory MacLeod and Craig Moore making way for fellow U18s star Miller Thomson.
The hosts lined up in their now trademark 3-4-1-2 as Ilmari Niskanen continues to enjoy his new wingback role and Nicky Clark props up a three-man forward line consisting of himself, January window signing Tony Watt and Reading loanee Marc McNulty.
A frenzied opening ten minutes ensued, typical of a derby with head tennis in the middle of the park and multiple niggly fouls. As the match settled though, it looked as though the away side were beginning to stamp their authority on proceedings. The first opportunity of the game fell to Danny Mullen who met a curling Jordan Marshall cross at the near post and bulleted the ball into the stand behind the goal.
A half-chance for United followed, Watt darting to the line and clipping the ball towards Smith who’d made up ground at the back post and he diverted back towards Niskanen on the six-yard line. The Finn stood unmarked but went inches away from connecting with the header and turning the ball home into an empty net.
However, with 12 minutes on the clock, Nicky Clark pounced to nab his second goal in three home derbies. A free-kick entered its second phase after being thundered down the park towards Smith, and the full-back hoisted a first-time ball towards the towering figure of Ross Graham. Dundee keeper Ian Lawlor charged out towards Smith’s looping cross but was outjumped by boyhood Arab Graham, the ball eventually landing at the feet of opportunist Clark and he coolly nodded it into an unguarded net to spark raucous scenes in the Shed.
The Dees continued to threaten, finding joy on multiple occasions when looking to exploit the pace of former United man Paul McMullan. His final product, luckily for the hosts, usually failed to find its intended target. One cross from the diminutive winger did find Charlie Adam on the run from midfield and his miscue was collected at the second time of asking by Benji Siegrist
An incredible miss from Mullen was all that prevented his side drawing level. Marshall found space to deliver across the box and the ball was helped on by Shaun Byrne towards the Dundee number nine who stood with the freedom of Tannadice a mere three yards out but still somehow managed to produce a weak effort which was easily gathered by Siegrist.
After the break, United looked for the second goal that would put them in a stronger position to take all three points and it came in spectacular fashion on 55 minutes. Charlie Mulgrew stood over a wide free-kick near the corner flag and, rather than cross, he decided to send an exquisite, curling effort zinging into the postage stamp as it flashed across the face of goal.
The joy was short-lived for Courts’ men unfortunately, as Dundee scored twice in extremely quick succession. First, Byrne’s cross was untidily grazed by Siegrist and the ball dropped kindly for Mullen who stooped to divert it into the back of the net from point-blank range. Then, Adam was left in acres of space 30 yards from goal and the veteran took advantage of this, his speculative effort taking a cruel deflection off Ryan Edwards to wrong-foot the keeper and finding the bottom left corner.
United hit back, McNulty playing in Clark down the right and continuing his run to strike his colleague’s cutback over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Soon after, a blistering counterattack involving Dylan Levitt, Niskanen and McNulty culminated in Smith failing to steer the ball home at the back stick under intense pressure from the recovering Cammy Kerr. Finally, Clark had a shot blocked by Jordan McGhee after a scramble which McMullan was at fault for as he tried to flick the ball away on the edge of his own box.
Siegrist was called back into action on 73 minutes, beating McMullan’s low, deflected drive to safety.
Half-time substitute Niall McGinn perhaps went closest to securing an away derby win for the first time since 2004. The ball was worked from right to left and Mullen managed to flick it away from Edwards looking to make an interception, and the former Aberdeen winger sent an unorthodox, looping strike goalward which bounced off the top of the crossbar.
McNulty was the recipient of United’s chance to win it in the 85th minute, diverting Graham’s left-footed cross agonisingly wide of Lawlor’s right post.
The Terrors threw everything at it, but failed to carve out a clear sighting of goal and, despite being disappointed in dropping a two-goal lead, still finished the afternoon in fourth spot.
