First Team
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1st May 2024
DUNDEE UNITED 3 (CARNWATH, MOORE, HEENAN)
HIBERNIAN 1 (WRIGHT)
CAS UNDER-18S ELITE LEAGUE
19:00 FRIDAY 10TH FEBRUARY
GUSSIE PARK
A blustery evening in the shadow of Tannadice was the setting for the Young Terrors’ CAS Under-18s Elite League clash with Hibernian.
United’s last win on home soil was against the same opposition back in August, a Jackson Innes own goal and Craig Moore strike on the stroke of half-time enough to secure a 2-1 victory.
Hibernian’s U19s side were agonisingly defeated by German giants Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday night as they conceded two late goals to surrender a 1-0 lead which they held for the majority of the match. Jacob MacIntyre and Owen Hastie were the only two from the European tie at Easter Road which made it into Darren McGregor’s staring XI this evening, however.
Just one change was made to the side defeated by Rangers last Friday, Greg Petrie dropping out of the squad altogether with Alan Domeracki given the nod by Ryan Moon to start.
Breathless Beginning
A pulsating opening seven minutes brought a multitude of chances for both sides, with expansive football on display from the off.
With just 37 seconds on the clock, a loose ball dropped to Adam Carnwath at an acute angle and his snapshot was diverted up onto the crossbar by Hibs stopper Smith Samuels.
The visitors retaliated almost instantly, Hastie glancing a whipped cross which swirled in the Dundee wind inches wide of the target after losing his market in a congested penalty area.
Tenacious ball-winning from Bryan Mwangi saw him dispossess Jamie Bulloch in the centre-circle before feeding Stuart Heenan making a piercing run through the middle. The 17-year-old collected the ball nicely in his stride and advanced into the area, but took an unfortunate tumble when pulling the trigger.
Jamie McCabe’s first involvement in proceedings saw him deny dangerman Rudi Molotnikov whose fierce, low drive from a narrow angle required a touch from the United ‘keeper to ensure it flashed the right side of the post from a tangerine persuasion.
Majestic Mwangi
Mwangi, who returned from a long-term foot injury not long before the turn of the year, began to dictate the tempo, tidying up loose balls all over the park and bringing them under control with his delicate control before making driving runs to commit defenders, therefore opening space for his teammates. The 17-year old was a joy to watch throughout the 90 minutes.
The Young Terrors were in firm control of the match, with Hibs reduced to sending speculative balls up towards an isolated Molotnikov, frequenltly caught offside by a well-organised, high line from the United rearguard.
A half-chance fell the way of Domeracki in the area after Ollie Simpson’s cross unexpectedly ran all the way to the back post, and his eventual effort was snuffed out by Adam Khan.
Then Heenan’s pea-roller from the edge of the D looked as though it was sneaking into the far corner but just evaded the upright.
Deserved Opener
The goal the hosts’ performance merited finally came on 19 minutes.
A sloppy pass from Hastie was intercepted by Domeracki around 25 yards from goal as the Edinburgh outfit looked to build from the back. The opportunity to strike opened up for the midfielder but the hawk-eyed 16-year-old spotted the run of Carnwath on the far side, splitting the defence in two with an inch-perfect pass. Carnwath received well with his first touch and executed a confident finish with his second, picking out the far corner with conviction.
However, it took Hibs less than 100 seconds to respond. Full-back Harry Wright gambled to push forward and support the attack, and he did this to great effect as he beat McCabe from 22 yards on the angle with his weaker left foot.
United continued to probe but chances waned towards the interval, and a wasteful, close-range free-kick from Rueben McAllister was the closest either side came to pulling in front ahead of the break.
Clinicality
The start of the second half mirrored the first, but this time the Young Terrors would make their chances count.
After a cynical foul on Heenan wide on the left, Moore was encouraged to take the set-piece on his stronger right foot. Rather than send the ball into the packed penalty area, the skipper went for goal and picked out the postage stamp with a wonderful, whipped strike.
Less than two minutes later, the home side added a third, with Moore heavily involved once more. His delicate dink over the top sent Heenan charging into the Hibernian penalty area, before the diminutive frontman was clumsily felled by Khan, left bamboozled by a skillful nutmeg from his opponent.
Heenan stepped up to the plate and confidently stroked beyond Samuels from 12 yards to double the tangerine advantage.
At the other end Josh Landers entered the United area but his path to goal was blocked by Arron Donald’s well-timed sliding challenge.
A threat all night, Heenan had two chances in quick succession to add to his tally. First he met Domeracki’s cross on the full but failed to divert on target from a wide starting point, then found himself denied by an outrageous Samuels save after bamboozling two Hibernian defenders simultaneously in the area.
Game Management
Hibs huffed and puffed but still couldn’t carve out frequent sightings of goal up against a formidable United backline of Scott Constable, Keir Bertie and Donald.
In fact, it was United who looked more likely to extend their lead, again through Heenan who couldn’t find a way past Samuels with his close-range half-volley – the two continuing to play out an entertaining battle of wits.
Domeracki, a standout during the opening 60 minutes, was withdrawn for Zeke Cameron and 15-year-old striker Owen Stirton made a brief cameo after an injury to Carnwath.
In the closing stages, Substitute Alfie Smith’s vicious free kick gave McCabe a fright, and McAllister met Wright’s zipped cross at the back stick after a fast break, but both couldn’t reduce the deficit.
3-1 the final score at Gussie as Moon’s men claim a well-deserved first league victory since the beginning of September.
Teamlines
United: McCabe, Borland, Simpson, Constable, Donald, Bertie, Domeracki, Moore, Carnwath, Mwangi, Heenan (Haldane, Emslie, Stirton, Cameron, Holt)
Hibernian: Samuels, Wright, Waugh, Khan, Hastie, Bulloch, Clelland, McAllister, Landers, Molotnikov, MacIntyre (Smith, McGarva, Holden, Fordyce, Whittaker, Geaney, Mallon)
