A light in the darkness

Up at Tannadice Park, after years of fumbling around in the darkness for a chink of light, fans are indeed beginning to dream of a bright, orange future. This time last year, Dundee United were still winless, trawling the bargain basement bins of obscure footballing outposts for their new foreign recruits.

In the past eight days alone, the club have won two SPL games, signed a highly-rated Rangers youngster in Stephen Carson and declared an interest in Ronnie O'Brien, a player from Juventus of all places. No wonder the fans are starting to broaden their horizons.

Even further ago, although it was only five years, these two sides were to be spotted squabbling away over lesser spoils in the lower divisions. Yesterday's confrontation saw the two meeting as bona fide contenders for a top six place, and United's eventual victory was well deserved, even if what should have been a routine second half became decidedly fraught towards the end.

And even for Dunfermline, whose early season form seems to have lost a little of its lustre, there was the consolation of causing absolute chaos in the United rearguard whenever they switched to Jimmy Calderwood's renegade 2-4-4 formation.

But just one minute after the visitors' captain Scott Thomson had curled home a delightful 28-yard freekick - to add to his earlier penalty - to complete their recovery from a seemingly unassailable two-goal deficit, Gary Mason felled the tireless Derek Lilley tight on the bye-line inside the penalty box.

Jim Hamilton, who had set up the home side's two first-half goals, stepped up confidently and drove the ball low inside Marco Ruitenbeek's right-hand post.

With Mason detailed to contain Charlie Miller, it was United's lively, physical frontmen who took the early initiative. After just two minutes, they were to exert an influence without touching the ball.

No defenders went to attack a Hasney Aljofree long throw as it floated in from the left, and it was only the merest touch from Marco Ruitenbeek that prevented the ball flopping over the goalkeeper's own head. It would be the best part of an hour before the "dodgy keeper" chants would start up in earnest, but already United's striker's must have sensed this was to be their day.

Ten minutes later, the goal came. A typical mixture of skill and determination from Derek Lilley having earned him space to deliver the cross, the ex-Morton player's delivery from the right was inch perfect for his strike partner Hamilton.

The former Hearts man leapt high above his marker, and flexed his neck muscles, but the ball did not travel towards Ruitenbeek's goal. Instead, it was perfectly cushioned back towards to Jim McIntyre, and as the striker-cum-midfielder broke into the box late, he spanked his first goal for the club low to the big Dutch keeper's right.

In the 27th minute, United made it two, and again Hamilton was at the heart of it, flicking on an Aljofree pass into Lilley's path.

The former Morton man ran on to it and hit it right-footed low past Ruitenbeek from 28 yards, and again it appeared that it should not be beyond the big keeper's compass to get down to the ball.

This match also doubled as a parade of Scotland hopefuls ahead of the double-header against Croatia and Belgium next month. For Dunfermline hopefuls Barry Nicholson, and Stephen Crawford it would have to go down as something of an opportunity missed.

The attacking instincts of McIntyre limited Nicholson's attacking contributions to a few wicked crosses while Crawford's involvement was to end prematurely, a clash with Aljofree ending in injury, and a booking just for good measure.

Elsewhere, with Craig Easton a late pre-match casualty to a throat injury, Charlie Miller had more nice touches, and Scotland Under-21 goalkeeper Paul Gallacher, who has been attracting the attention of Scotland's goalkeeping coach Alan Hodgkinson among others, could not be faulted for any of the goals, and in particular impressed as he touched over a fierce Jack de Gier volley. The Dutchman was left karate kicking out at nobody in his despair.

But it was Scott Thomson, an unsung hero at the back about whom manager Jimmy Calderwood will tell anyone prepared to listen that he is the best Scottish central defender in Scotland, who was to play the biggest role, as the Pars threw caution to the wind in the second half.

First, just minutes after Lee Bullen came on as a substitute, the big striker was pulled down in the box by Miller. Referee Stuart Dougal had no hesitation and up stepped Thomson, placing the ball high to the keeper's left.

Then, with 12 minutes remaining, came the coup de grace. With United having been penned in by their eager visitors, Chris McGroarty was felled once again by David Hannah. Four players were around the ball but it was Thomson who took the shot to beat Gallacher delightfully, before he ran off to salute the visiting support. The home fans were noticeably more silent.

The lull only lasted a minute. Lilley fed Miller inside the box and, after some intricate passing, came Mason's wild lunge. Enter Hamilton, eager and willing to put his bad times at United behind him, and that was that.

"I honestly believed we dominated about three-quarters of the game," Calderwood - who reflected with pride in the show of his team that had succumbed at home to Rangers last week - said afterwards. "We decided to go to 2-4-4 , and they couldn't handle it." But such is the typical obstinance of the opposing manager, however, that Alex Smith, his opposite number, felt his team had been the one that had dominated for an hour of the game. He had the points, and the league table to prove it.

Copyright 2001
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