Boyd keeps a record intact with late show of fighting spirit

Dundee United 1 Kilmarnock 2 WHEN Jim McLean does finally conclude the deal to hand over his shareholding to Eddie Thompson, he will surely be relieved his nerves will avoid the shreddings that afternoons such as these can inflict. At Tannadice yesterday, a game that had never seemed likely to end 0-0 was spared such a fate by the intervention of three late substitutes. Yet few suspected that Kilmarnock, having finally gone behind, would have it in them to take an unlikely victory back to Ayrshire.

It had been more than five years years since United last beat Kilmarnock at Tannadice, but it took Arnar Gunnlaugsson just over five minutes to seemingly set them on course to end the record.

The Icelandic internationalist, introduced in the 66th minute, provided the sublime pass which let in Steven Thompson to fire a deserved opener, but by the end everyone was talking about Craig Dargo and particularly Kris Boyd, as Kilmarnock's two attacking arrivals stole the show.

Minutes after the equaliser, Boyd's header was diverted into the bottom corner by Dargo's studs from Steve Fulton's free-kick. But the 18-year-old's best was yet to come. With just seven minutes remaining of the game's frantic denouement, he hared after Freddie Dindeleux's long pass and watched it drop before sending a fantastic first-time lob spiralling over Paul Gallacher and into the net.

For Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies, after battling for a point against Rangers last week, it was another illustration that his side have added fighting spirit to their undoubted talent.

"Even if it had ended 0-0, it would have been one of the best no- scoring draws I have been involved with," Jefferies said.

"Kris had a wee look to see the goalkeeper off his line and it was a great finish."

Dundee United's Alex Smith was ashen faced, however, reflecting upon a game that had been thrown away.

"We put a lot of effort into the game, and created a goal that should have been the winning of the game. Taking nothing away from their strikers, it was awful defending that cost us."

United now travel to Parkhead next week with one point from six. While Jefferies' side resembled a former Hearts XI, United also boast a growing ex-Kilmarnock contingent in Kevin McGowne, Jim McIntyre and Jim Lauchlan. The Kilmarnock boss included new signing Gary Locke alongside Fulton in midfield, with Jesus Sanjuan as sweeper in a three-man defence. But before long, Smith had told newly slimline Charlie Miller to push on and occupy them. That was how an open game became open season as the game wore on.

For the hosts, the introduction of Derek Lilley had hinted at a more attacking outlook, and so it seemed early on as McIntyre pinged an exquisite left-foot pass perfectly into Miller's run. The former Ranger took his time but his low shot rebounded back from Gordon Marshall's legs.

It was far from their only opportunity. Just after the half-hour, Danny Griffin's free kick had Marshall beaten only to miss the post by inches. The United captain was to go even closer in the second half, but this time his set piece from wide on the left cannoned off the Kilmarnock wall, then the woodwork, before rebounding to safety.

The best chance up to that point had come at the other end, where Greg Shields' drive had forced a fine save from Gallacher after the livewire Andy McLaren had put him clear on goal.

But for all their neat possession, Kilmarnock were largely limited to long-range efforts from Locke and Hay, before McLaren's overhead effort dropped wide.

The chances continued to flow at either end in the second half. But after a flurry of Kilmarnock bookings, few expected quite such a flurry of goals to follow. It sparked a belated and ultimately fruitless search for the equaliser. It was the ending the game deserved.

Copyright 2002
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