First Team

MATCH REPORT | UNITED SUCCUMB TO FINAL DAY DEFEAT IN LANARKSHIRE

28th May 2023

MOTHERWELL 3-2 DUNDEE UNITED
CINCH PREMIERSHIP
3PM SATURDAY 8TH MAY
FIR PARK

The season finale of the 2022/23 cinch Premiership campaign saw United travel to Fir Park for the second time in as many months.
 
Three points and eight goals worse off than Ross County in 11th place, the Terrors headed to Lanarkshire in the knowledge a minor miracle was needed to preserve their top-flight status.

TEAM TALK

Jim Goodwin named his first starting XI following the confirmation that he would be the club’s permanent manager for the next two seasons, making four changes to the side which succumbed to a 3-0 defeat to Kilmarnock on Wednesday.

Australian international Aziz Behich returned from suspension, as he joined Kieran Freeman, Loick Ayina and Ross Graham in a flat back four.
 
Both Glenn Middleton and Dylan Levitt made just their second starts under Goodwin after being side-lined with long-term hamstring and knee injuries respectively, whilst Steven Fletcher was deemed fit enough to start as he continues to contend with a groin strain.
 
A buoyant atmosphere permeated throughout Fir Park prior to kick-off, with cut-price tickets seeing the stands packed with home supporters.

VAN VEEN IN THE MOOD 

Just 25 seconds had elapsed when the first shot on target of the afternoon fizzed into the gloves of Jack Newman. Former United man Blair Spittal combined nicely with Kevin van Veen on the edge of the area and sent a low drive straight at the Scotland U21 international, who gathered at the second time of asking.
 
It was a sign of things to come though, and the Premiership’s most in-form striker wasted no time in rippling the net once more. Middleton found himself dispossessed by James Furlong just inside the defensive half, leaving Sean Goss to pick up the scraps from the challenge.


 
Well midfielder Goss spotted the run of van Veen darting in behind the United backline, with the Dutchman rounding Newman before finishing from an acute angle – on the scoresheet for a club record-breaking 11 consecutive matches.

UNITED BITE BACK

Following the opener, United were allowed to dominate proceedings due to the hosts’ low line of engagement, around 35 yards from their own goal. Levitt was instrumental in chance creation for United, pulling the strings from his favoured deep midfield role.
 
The Welsh international sliced the Well defence in two with a fabulous ball into the path of Middleton advancing into the area on the ten-minute mark, but the United man failed to find a way past Liam Kelly on the half-volley.


 
Middleton then had two further guilt-edged chances in quick succession. The first saw him execute a neat interchange with Fletcher to open space for the strike on the right side of the six-yard box, however delayed in pulling the trigger and allowed Bevis Mugabi to intervene.
 
Then, Jamie McGrath pickpocketed Well U18s star Lennon Miller 25 yards from goal before finding his United colleague who saw his low finish destined for the far corner stick between the legs of Kelly. 
 
Chances continued to flow towards the newly dubbed Tommy McLean stand, Levitt once again unlocking the door for Freeman. The Academy graduate collided with the onrushing ‘keeper, with the loose ball dropping the way of Middleton.

Unselfishly, he squared to Fletcher, poised to strike towards the unguarded net, but the well-placed Paul McGinn cleared our number nine’s eventual effort off the goal line
 
United were reminded of the threat posed by van Veen with 25 minutes played after a spell of almost complete superiority. Stephen O’Donnell raced into the right side of the box to collect his can Veen’s lofted ball out wide, before sending a looping cross back onto the head of his colleague who uncharacteristically missed the target with his effort.

MCGRATH LEVELS FROM SPOT

The pendulum began to swing back in the visitors’ favour however it would take a stroke of fortune to present them with the opportunity to level things up from the spot. A speculative ball from McGrath was contested in the area by Fletcher and Mugabi and, after a VAR review, it was adjudged the ball had brushed the arm of the Ugandan on the way to the turf.
 
McGrath made no mistake from 12 yards, converting his sixth penalty of the season.

 

Just 60 seconds after the restart of play, Mugabi was involved in another flashpoint as he lost out on a footrace with familiar foe Fletcher before bundling the United frontman to the deck as he headed through on goal – no foul according to Steven MacLean.
 
On the stroke of half-time, Freeman and McGrath escaped the clutches of Furlong beside the corner flag with a sharp one-two, and the latter drove along the byline unchallenged. Freeman then dinked a short cross in the direction of Fletcher and, under pressure from McGinn, he rattled the outside of the post with his header.

FLETCHER ON TARGET

After the restart, United continued to show attacking impetus and would race into the lead. Peter Pawlett burst through a ruck of claret and amber shirts into the left side of the area, and the unmarked Fletcher was on hand to cushion the cutback home from point-blank range.


 
The home side responded strongly to falling behind, taking a firm grip on proceedings for the remainder of the match. They carried a lethal threat on the transition, and utilised the wider regions of the immaculate Fir Park surface well.
 
Newman was thrown into the thick of the action as the match approached the hour mark. He managed to acrobatically claw McGinn’s awkward cross from under the crossbar under pressure, then produced an outstanding one-handed save to thwart a close-range Mugabi header. Furthermore, Newman kept out Mikel Mandron’s angled strike on the counter.
 
Last ditch defending from United was needed once more, this time Sean Goss denied by Newman from inside the area before Spittal saw his volley deflected onto the inside of the post by Freeman.
 
Fletcher had an opportunity to add his second of the afternoon after being picked out by McGrath from the left wing but headed straight into the arms of Kelly inside the six-yard box.

WRITING ON THE WALL 

The pressure was beginning to mount further on the United goal, and eventually the tangerine roof caved in.


 
Substitute Jon Obika and van Veen fended off the United defence with their backs to goal to ultimately tee up Spittal 20 yards from goal. The livewire proceeded to take a touch out of his feet and pick out the bottom corner with a fine, left-footed finish.
 
Heading into the closing stages, the Steelmen had the ball in the net again as Max Johnston latched onto a van Veen rebound and finished with aplomb from a narrow angle, but the linesman’s flag cut raucous Fir Park celebrations short.
 
Substitute Johnston wasn’t to be denied a second time though, and with eight minutes remaining, he rose to meet Furlong’s sumptuous delivery into the middle and bullet the ball past a helpless Newman – this the winner and last action of note in Lanarkshire.

A match which told almost perfectly the story of United’s season in microcosm, with the result confirming the club’s relegation to the second tier of Scottish football.
TEAMLINE

Starting XI: Newman, Graham, Pawlett (70’ MacLeod), Fletcher (86’ Thomson), Sibbald, Middleton (65’ Fotheringham), Behich, McGrath, Levitt (65’ Cudjoe), Freeman, Ayina
 
Unused subs: BirighittI, McMann, Mulgrew, Niskanen, Harkes

POST-MATCH THOUGHTS
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