Dundee United 5
Dundee 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

It is virtually impossible to please all of the people all of the time-especially in a "derby" game.

But I'll stick out my double chin and say everyone went home happy from this latest Tannadice Street confrontation - even the visitors who stayed to the bitter end.

When United took their well-deserved bow in front of their delighted fans at the end, the Dundee supporters were still there cheering their heroes.

OK. There were three goals between the teams at the finish and that was the correct margin. United played some tremendous stuff, second half especially, when they gave Dundee a going-over.

The Dark Blues had no one with the power or pace of Ralph Milne, Paul Sturrock or Davie Dodds up front.

Nor did they have the thinking perception of Billy Kirkwood in midfield to ghost in on the end of some thrilling leading-up work.

However, in Dundee's favour, they did have guts by the gallon-and in Scottish youth international Iain Ferguson at least the promise of being able to match United's frightening fire power up front, given time to mature.

With an hour gone, the teams were locked at 2-2, Dundee having staged an unlikely come-back.

Unlikely? Well, United hit the woodwork three times in a five-minute spell either side of half-time through Milne (twice) and Bannon.

Then, after Milne restored some sanity by making it 3-2, Davie Bell missed a tremendous chance to tie the game again.

In the end, no question of United's superiority, although for a long time the bookies' generous 6-1 odds for Dundee looked decidedly daft.

Before I run out of space, let's get down to the goals United went ahead after a bright Dundee start.

Phillip and Dodds combined to set Bannon free on the left. Dodds and Glennie went after his cross and both failed to connect. It ran to Kirkwood in his usual lurking position at the edge of the box and he crashed the ball handsomely past Geddes.

Five minutes from the interval Dundee looked down and out. Milne flighted a deep corner. Hegarty jumped alone and Paul Sturrock was completely unmarked six yards out to sweep the ball into the net.

This Dundee team don't know the meaning of down and out however, Hegarty flattened Sinclair going for a Cameron through ball and young Fergie blasted home the penalty.

United were destroying, their neighbours without managing to apply the killer punch, when, lo and behold, Dundee went upheld to equalise, McAlpine dropped a harmless Ferguson cross and sub Peter Mackie blasted the loose ball into the roof of the net.

That was Dundee's last moment of glory though. United flexed their muscles and showed their class. Milne delicately chipped into Geddes's top corner from 20 yards after a Dodds head flick.

Then Eamonn Bannon scored the goal of the game or perhaps the season He collected a Kopel free, chipped over Glennie, then repeated the trick on Geddes.

With Dundee reeling, Sturrock collected a Dodds flick from a Narey clearance and raced from halfway to beat the advancing 'keeper.

As you have probably gathered, this was a rollicking match. United are peerless when they play like this, Holt, Hegarty, Narey (in midfield), Milne and Kirkwood were outstanding.

Dundee aren't proving the soft touch many believe, myself included, that they would be. Geddes, Glennie, Ferguson and McGeachle, were their best,

They had Glennie and Fraser booked first half, but this was a great sporting occasion with the emphasis on the sporting aspect.

Match report written by The Sunday Post