First Team
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1st May 2024
KILMARNOCK 0 - 1 DUNDEE UNITED
SCOTTISH FA YOUTH CUP SECOND ROUND
1:30PM FRIDAY 21ST OCTOBER 2022
RUGBY PARK
The Young Terrors continued their assault on the Scottish FA Youth Cup with a tasty Second Round tie at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock.
Last time out in this competition, United dismantled St Andrews United at Gussie Park, running away with the match after the interval with the final score, 9-3, perhaps flattering the hosts.
Line-Up
Midfielder Scott Constable was rewarded with his full debut for the Young Terrors as he paired Bryan Mwangi in midfield, whilst Connor May, who netted a last-minute winner against St Mirren in September, played off the right as Ryan Moon rung the changes following a heavy defeat against Motherwell.
Another standout from the 4-3 win over St Mirren, 2008-born Ollie Simpson, slotted into the left of the back four, and Craig Moore was deployed at centre-half due to Samuel Cleall-Harding’s omission from the squad through injury.
United start brightly
The visitors came close inside the opening two minutes when an inviting ball to the back post by Alan Domeracki was met by defender Keir Bertie on the bounce but the spin on the ball hindered his ability to generate power on the header and Killie stopper Corey Armour managed to prevent United taking an early lead.
In the opening exchanges, the Young Terrors looked to open space for attacking wing-backs Sean Borland and Simpson with their narrow front three which occupied the defence, Adam Carnwath, Stuart Heenan and May all rotating to drag their opponents out of position, creating gaps for teammates.
Another Domeracki delivery caused chaos in the penalty area on 16 minutes, this time Moore pouncing on a loose ball and sending a vicious, target-bound effort into the chest of Joe Spencer who stood near the goal line.
At the other end, Aiden Boon was allowed time and space to turn just outside the box before dinking the ball delicately over the head of Borland for onrushing colleague Aaron Brown. His first-time cross zipped along the surface, eventually being met by Kian Leslie at the back post who blazed his first-time strike over the bar.
Pressing From The Front
Kilmarnock looked to build from defence intricately, with Harvey Gilmour, brother of Norwich City midfielder Billy, attempting to take the ball on the half turn and distribute further up the pitch. This however was countered by an aggressive press from the front by United and this would be the catalyst for the opening goal in Ayrshire.
Stuart Heenan harried Spencer into a miscued pass back to his keeper, and the winger made no mistake as he collected the loose ball 15 yards out and dispatched confidently into the near-post.
It took until the 40th minute for the hosts to respond with a half-chance, as Gilmour teed up Brown inside the D who found his curling strike blocked by Mwangi.
End-To-End
In the second half, United could’ve doubled their advantage on the counter when a searching pass from Domeracki dropped at the feet of Heenan on the burst into the Killie half. The Young Terrors number eleven isolated Ben Brannan down towards the corner of the area and left him for dead with a sharp shift, but found his whipped effort which looked to be finding the far corner blocked by Spencer on the recovery.
On 56 minutes, Simpson showed the quality of his final product with an inch-perfect cross onto the head of Adam Carnwath who perhaps should’ve worked the keeper with his glancing header from ten yards which slid past the post.
14-year-old Josh Holt, who signed from Dundee West in June and recently earned a call-up to the Scotland U15s squad, entered the fray during the second period to make his debut for the Under-18s.
On the hour mark, a piece of heroic defender from the skipper, Moore, was all that stopped Killie from drawing level. A collision between substitute Zander Craik and United keeper Lewis Haldane saw the ball fall kindly for Brown who stood before an unguarded net. The 17-year-old opted to take a touch before pulling the trigger, allowing Moore to dive in front of his effort just three yards from his own goal line, preventing a certain equaliser.
Killie Turn The Screw
Kilmarnock began to turn the screw as they realised their Scottish FA Youth Cup campaign looked to be drawing to a close.
First, Heenan was on hand to make amends for his miscued clearance as he blocked Cameron Mulvanny’s strike from inside the area, then Simpson threw himself in the way of a first-time Leslie effort as the winger met a low cross from Brown which somehow reached the back post.
Nathan Smith then missed the target from the top of the box under little pressure from the United defence.
Defensive Heroics Continue
It looked as though Craig Clark’s side had found an equaliser with nine to play as Cody Stark rose highest in the area and beat Haldane with a looping header which seemed destined for the far corner, but the well-placed Sean Borland was on hand to make a vital intervention on the line.
Seconds later, David Watson bulleted Brown’s corner over the crossbar from point-blank range.
A backs to the wall final few moments unfolded, with Bertie and Moore forced to hack numerous clearances into the opposing half as a hail of crosses rained into the box, but the whistle sounded to confirm the Young Terrors’ place in the Third Round.
A resolute defence performance where, for more than 70 minutes, United had to protect a one-goal lead and they did so resiliently.
Teamlines
Kilmarnock: Armour, Brannan, Mersey, Ellis, Spencer, Gilmour, Mulvanny, Watson, Boon, Brown, Leslie (Glavin, Smith, Craik, Stark, Burgess, Logan)
United: Haldane, Borland, Simpson, Moore, Bertie, Constable, Domeracki, Mwangi, May, Carnwath, Heenan (Lowe, McGuire, Trotter, Emslie, Cameron, Stirton, Holt)
