Dodds at the double for United

Dundee Utd 3-1 Aberdeen WHEN presented with a gift it is only mannerly to return the favour. As Jim Leighton was awarded a commemorative Quaich by Dundee United before play began at Tannadice, the prospect of Aberdeen's porous defence going on to dispense their own gifts seemed inevitable. That Leighton's 500th game for the club was marred by another dispiriting defeat, and further lost goals to blacken his record, seemed pre-ordained.

The east coast clubs displayed impeccable pre-match courtesy, but United retained the good sense to curtail their bonhomie when Hugh Dallas' whistle sounded for the first time. After an even first half they emerged worthy winners, with such a grasp on the game that thoughts could stray to left wing-back Jim Paterson, who suffered a broken tibia in an accidental clash in the second half. Play was suspended for fully five minutes before the Scotland under-21 player was stretchered off and taken to hospital.

Young David Lilley was a fearful, uncertain figure in the Aberdeen defence, but no blame could be attached to him for connecting with Paterson when he legitimately swung a leg to clear a ball at the touchline.

Discovering he would be out for at least 12 weeks was a desperately inappropriate way for Paterson to finish the afternoon given his contribution to United's win. His penetrating runs into the penalty area repeatedly unsettled the Dons. Twice the ball fell to him eight yards from goal only for his energy to be undermined by wayward finishing.

Later, his efforts were more productive. When his deep cross was weakly headed clear by Thomas Solberg two minutes after half-time Billy Dodds side-stepped Russell Anderson and slotted home the opening goal.

Paterson himself added the conclusive second. A Jan Telesnikov cross was back-headed by Anderson then nodded across the face of goal by Stephen McConalogue, allowing the young wing back to steal in and smash the ball into goal. There were 34 minutes left but the contest was over.

Despite the funereal mood engendered by losing five or seven against the Old Firm, as Aberdeen have in the past month, it is mundane defeats such as these which consign a club to the dark drama of demonstrations, relegation and sacked managers. The Dons have become acclimatised to such crises over a period which corresponds almost directly to the five years elapsed since August, 1994, when they last scored a goal at Tannadice before Thomas Solberg's penalty with the final kick of the ball.

With Paterson and David Worrell pushing down the wings, United's 3- 5-2 formation was geared towards ending a run of two consecutive home defeats. Victory maintained their lofty third position in the league, four points behind Celtic, albeit with two games more played.

United used five under-21 players in the course of a win embellished by another Dodds goal four minutes from time. When a shot was deflected off Anderson to Leighton's left it took his total scored to six against Aberdeen in as many games since leaving the Dons. When Dodds joins the Scotland squad on Tuesday, Alex Miller, the national assistant manager, will have renewed justification from avoiding eye contact with the striker he allowed to slip away from Pittodrie during his own bleak reign at the club.

Current manager Ebbe Skovdahl is eager to sign a combative striker, Arild Stavrum, but there is growing pessimism about the long- term target's interest in joining Aberdeen. Two new faces yesterday were hardly seduced by first impressions. After two months of waiting Cato Guntveit, a wiry Norwegian signed from SK Brann, made his debut in central midfield but was indistinguishable amid mediocre team- mates. Another new signing, Argentinian full-back Juan Cobian, was on for the final 17 minutes and had a header cleared off the goalline.

Aberdeen's late flurry was futile. They had opened brightly in an even first half, trading blows with United and coming closest with two shots from Andy Dow, the second a fierce volley from the left which slipped behind Alan Combe's goal. Defeat left them adrift on only five points at the foot of the table, with only one victory over United in their last 14 meetings.

"We had five players under 21 which shows we are going in the right direc-tion," said united boss Paul Sturrock. "We're not pretty, but I will take wins before looking pretty. We know what the club has to do after Bosman. The way forward is to become a selling club again. We have been a buying club for a few seasons, but were most successful when we were a selling club."

Skovdahl would welcome some goods to trade. There is a rump of mediocre players at his club proving more difficult to shift than a British steak in Paris. In asking so much of a 41-year-old goalkeeper, Skovdahl is discovering that even a legend's value can diminish.

The Quaich presented to Leighton acknowledged the 900th appearance of his career and the warm applause from the United support was to their great credit. Jim McLean even gave the old keeper's ego a surge by revealing before the match that he had tried to sign him 20 years ago, when the term "New Firm" was coined and relevant.

"I told him 'your 900 games has taken its toll'," joked Dodds, his friend and former team-mate, who made the presentation. "He's not looking that well!" Leighton, then, truly represents his beloved club.

dundee united 3-5-2 1 Combe 5 De Vos 2 Pascual 21 Partridge 20 Worrell 26 Davidson 4 Hannah 15 Telesnikov 18 Paterson 64 25 McConalogue 89 14 Dodds substitutes 22 Onstad 3 Malpas 7 Easton 64 12 McCulloch 89 27 Venetis aberdeen 4-4-2 1 Leighton 39 Lilley 73 15 Anderson 5 Solberg 30 McAllister 11 Kiriakov 59 26 Guntveit 10 Mayer 2 Dow 8 Jess 74 9 Winters substitutes 22 Esson 2 Perry 7 Hamilton 74 16 Buchan 59 44 Cobian 73 attendance 8,170 referee H Dallas

Copyright 1999
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