First Team

The Terrors kick off the cinch Championship campaign in style! 

5th August 2023

Arbroath 0 
Dundee United 4 (Middleton, Cudjoe, Sibbald, Moult)
7:45pm Friday 4 August, 2023
Gayfield Park
cinch Championship

Attendance: 5,558

Four goals, four scorers and a hat trick of assists for Louis Moult saw United lay down an early marker in the cinch Championship. 

THE TEAM TALK

After a stellar performance at Brunton Park last weekend, it was no surprise that Jim Goodwin made no changes ahead of our cinch Championship opener. 

Two goals in two starts saw Louis Moult lead the line with support from Glenn Middleton, Tony Watt and Mathew Cudjoe. Declan Gallagher also made his first competitive start for United. 

A POINT TO PROVE

The men in green came flying out of the traps with two chances inside the opening five minutes. 

Following a stramash in the box, Scott McMann found himself striking at goal before Joao Balde blocked his effort off the line. 

McMann almost turned provider minutes later when his cross from the left found Moult in space. Our number nine turned to get a snapshot away which Derek Gaston was equal to to keep the score level. 

JUST REWARDS

Our first goal of the cinch Championship season came after eleven minutes as Middleton notched his second goal in as many games.

A slack loss of possession from Balde in the Arbroath midfield had the United attack purring as Moult raced forward on the counter. With options to choose from, he slid the ball out left for Middleton who made no mistake, firing a low effort past Derek Gaston. 

 
COOL CUDJOE

United made it two on twenty-five minutes courtesy of a stylish first United goal from Cudjoe! 

A line-splitting pass from Craig Sibbald found Moult who had dropped deep to take the ball in space. Another clever pass unlocked the defence finding Cudjoe in behind who showed great composure to look up and dink the ball over the onrushing Derek Gaston to double our lead. 

 
THREE TO THE GOOD

Goodwin’s side almost had the third just after the half-hour mark. Finding room at the edge of the box, Sibbald curled an effort at goal which had Gaston beaten all ends up -  unfortunately crashing off the crossbar. 

Just four minutes later he did find the back of the net to add a well-deserved third. 

A long ball forward was flicked on by Moult who completed his hat-trick of assists when Sibbald latched on to it and slid the ball into the corner beyond Gaston. 

 
MAGNIFICENT MOULT 

After a stellar first-half showing, Moult had a goal of his own on the stroke of half-time.

Patient play and a delicious pass from Cudjoe broke the Arbroath backline to find our number 9 after some clever movement off the shoulder. Knowing where the goal was, he blasted a first-time effort beyond Gaston to put the game out of sight for the hosts!

 
KEEPING CONTROL

United matched the intensity of their first-half display with a number of second-half chances. 

After an impressive pre-season, McMann was once again on form and almost had a goal to match. Picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box, he let fly with a ferocious first-time effort which cracked the post. 

Moult almost had his second of the evening after some clever play from Watt found him in space, but his goal-bound effort was blocked en route. 

Watt made way for Archie Meekison as Goodwin made United’s first change of the night after 62 minutes.

YOUNG GUNS IMPRESS

A trio of changes came with just over ten minutes to play. 

Miller Thomson was almost involved straight away. With some tenacious play and quick feet, he almost wriggled clear but was eventually crowded out at the edge of the penalty area.

Clever link-up from Meekison and Declan Glass almost fashioned an opening before Glass dragged a shot wide in search of a fifth. 

United made a final change as Ross Graham replaced Gallagher to see out a comfortable victory in Arbroath. 

POST-MATCH THOUGHTS
 
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
 
TEAMLINE

Dundee United

Starting XI: Walton, Holt, Grimshaw, Moult, Sibbald, Middleton, Docherty (c), Cudjoe, Gallagher, Watt, McMann 

Subs: Newman, Denham, Graham, Meekison, Glass, Freeman, Duffy, MacLeod, Thomson

Arbroath 

Starting XI: Gaston, Steele, Stewart, Little, O’Brien, Slater, Balde, Hilton, Bird, McIntosh, Dow

Subs: Gold, McKenna, Jacobs, Allan, Turan, Welsh

NEXT UP

League action returns to Tannadice next Saturday as we take on Dunfermline Athletic in the cinch Championship. 

CLICK HERE for match tickets!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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