First Team
THE TANGERINE ARMY | PARTICK THISTLE (H)
27th April 2024
PARTICK THISTLE 0
DUNDEE UNITED 5 (Sibbald 11', Holt 62' 83' 88', McMann 64')
3PM SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER 2023
The WYRE AT FIRHILL STADIUM
CINCH CHAMPIONSHIP
Attendance: 5,120 (1,398 away supporters)
Our unbeaten run continues courtesy of a scintillating second-half showing and a Kevin Holt hat-trick.
THE TEAM TALK
This afternoon’s action in Maryhill was the final joust in the first quarter of the cinch Championship season with Jim Goodwin making four changes to the side that defeated Peterhead in the SPFL Trust Trophy last weekend.
Declan Gallagher, Liam Grimshaw, Kai Fotheringham and Craig Sibbald all featured from the start whilst Ross Graham, Kieran Freeman, Chris Mochrie and Jordan Tillson dropped to the bench.
There was a welcome return to the bench for Mathew Cudjoe after being sidelined through injury.
Six DUFC Academy graduates were involved in the matchday squad.
AN EARLY LEAD
Our opening chance fell within five minutes following a quick throw-in down the right-hand side. In the follow-up, Fotheringham delivered a floated cross towards Louis Moult but Jamie Sneddon was off his line quickly to gather.
The Jags’ first chance came a minute later, Stuart Bannigan found himself in space to spark an attack which was squandered as Steven Lawless lashed the ball high and wide from the edge of the area.
Just after the ten-minute mark, it was United who hit the front.
Latching on to a loose ball inside the Thistle half, Tony Watt led the United charge before sliding in Glenn Middleton as he raced into the box. Taking the chance on his right foot, a strong hand from Sneddon did enough to keep the score level.
From the resultant corner, Middleton’s deep cross found Sibbald in acres of space and he lashed an effort through a crowded penalty area to hit his second goal of the season!
Chances came few and far between in the remainder of the first half, with Steven Lawless looking like the danger man for the Jags with a number of involvements.
United went close to a second on 33 minutes, again Watt was involved with a determined burst through the middle of the park. Laying the ball off for Fotheringham, our Academy graduate delivered low across the face of goal - unfortunately just ahead of Louis Moult and sliding just wide of the far post!
Thistle's best chance came on the stroke of halftime following some patient play down the left flank. Early substitute Wes McDonald held the ball up well before Harry Milne dragged an effort narrowly wide of the post as Steven Kirkland drew close on the opening 45.
It was a feisty opening to the second period, with both sides looking threatening.
Watt looked in a menacing mood all afternoon - picking up pockets of space in between the hosts' midfield and defence. His clever combination with Moult almost resulted in our second but Sneddon was equal to our number nine's left-footed effort.
TWO IN TWO MINUTES
The game was out of sight for Thistle as quickfire goals from Holt and McMann put distance between the sides just after the hour mark.
On 62 minutes, the former Jags man found himself sauntering through the Thistle half before unleashing a strike that was too hot to handle for Sneddon and finding the top corner from distance!
Less than 120 seconds later we had our third courtesy of a sweeping counter from the men in heritage green. It was Sibbald in the driving seat before eventually working the ball wide for Fotheringham to stand up a cross to the back post. There to meet it was Moult who nodded the ball into the path of Scott McMann to rifle home and give us clear daylight.
Content clearly hadn't set in as United pushed for a fourth, Ross Docherty almost finding the net against his former club but his ferocious effort crashed off the bar.
Matters were made worse for the hosts as Muirhead was shown a second yellow card just ten minutes from time.
ADDING FOUR AND FIVE
As if things couldn't get any better for Goodwin's side, we notched a fourth with just over five minutes to play.
It came with an air of fortune as a corner evaded everyone before deflecting off of Holt's standing leg for his second of the afternoon.
Just three minutes from time we had our fifth courtesy of a spot-kick - Holt hitting a hat-trick in the process.
It was Watt who was bundled to the ground inside the box before Holt stepped up to leave Sneddon rooted to the spot.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Without doubt...
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) October 21, 2023
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TEAMLINES
PARTICK THISTLE
Starting XI: Sneddon, Milne, Muirhead, Neilson, McInroy, Bannigan, Graham (c), Lawless, Ngwenya, Robinson, Fitzpatrick
Subs: Mitchell, Williams, Williamson, Alston, McDonald, Stanway, MacKenzie, Diack, Adeloye
Dundee United FC
Starting XI: Walton, Holt, Grimshaw, Moult, Sibbald, Middleton, Fotheringham, Docherty (c) Gallagher, Watt, McMann
Subs: Newman, Denham, Graham, Tillson, Freeman, Duffy, Mochrie, Cudjoe, Moore
NEXT UP
All attention turns to Friday night as we host Arbroath at Tannadice!
As part of our #UTD100 celebrations, the SPFL have granted the club's request to reschedule the fixture to 7:45pm, Friday 27 October - the one-hundred-year anniversary of our inaugural match as Dundee United Football Club.
