Dundee United’s Gary Mackay-Steven at the double to hit Dundee for six
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Version 0 of 1. Dundee United got 2015 off to a memorable start as they celebrated a 6-2 win over their rivals Dundee in the New Year’s Day derby at Tannadice. Jackie McNamara’s side led 4-1 at half-time against Paul Hartley’s team who had stand-in goalkeeper Arvid Schenk enduring a nightmare debut. A double before the break from Gary Mackay-Steven combined with Stuart Armstrong’s early opener and Chris Erskine’s strike put the hosts in command after Greg Stewart had briefly levelled for the Dark Blues, who also netted in the dying minutes through the substitute Luka Tankulic. The defender Jaroslaw Fojut headed the fifth in the 65th minute before the substitute Charlie Telfer completed the rout with a sweet finish as the Tangerines scored six goals for the first ever time in a derby, leaving off-form Dundee without a win in seven league matches. Dundee were dealt a pre-match blow when their regular goalkeeper Kyle Letheren hurt his thigh in the warm-up which handed a first start to the German replacement Schenk. And his first touch of the ball was to pick it out of the net after only 31 seconds. Conor Townsend made space for himself down the left and crossed for Erskine to volley goalwards, and it deflected off the back of Armstrong to wrongfoot Schenk on its way into the net. Dundee soon rallied and created their first real scoring opportunity. Paul McGowan did well to head the ball on to Stewart just inside the penalty area and his hooked effort went just over Radoslaw Cierzniak’s crossbar. Midway through the first half, the United midfielder Calum Butcher became the first player to be booked for leading with his elbow in an aerial challenge with Gary Harkins. From the resulting free-kick, Stewart stepped up to curl a 25-yard effort into Cierzniak’s top corner for the equaliser. United regained the lead in the 27th minute. Sean Dillon played a pass out wide on the right to Mackay-Steven who sent a curling cross-cum-shot high into Schenk’s far corner from 30 yards. That put United back on song and a few minutes later they increased their lead. Again Townsend’s cross caused problems in the Dundee defence and Erskine picked it up before cutting inside and seeing his left-foot shot deflected off James McPake into Schenk’s far corner. There was no stopping the hosts now and John Rankin tried his luck with a 30-yard shot which went narrowly past the target. However, United were not to be denied as they went 4-1 ahead in the 42nd minute. Armstrong’s defence-splitting pass was perfect for Mackay-Steven to run on to and he made no mistake with a cool finish from 16 yards which Schenk got a hand to but could not keep out. Dundee started the second half with McPake unleashing a 30-yard drive which Cierzniak parried before saving the rebound from Stewart. The visitors were refusing to give up and in the 62nd minute Thomas Konrad’s glancing header from Stewart’s free-kick came back off Cierzniak’s crossbar. However, United made it 5-1 with 25 minutes left when Mackay-Steven’s corner was met by the unmarked Fojut whose downward header beat Schenk. Telfer was on hand to rub more salt in Dundee’s wounds with a well-taken sixth goal in the 83rd minute from 22 yards after Mackay-Steven’s cross had been intercepted, before the substitute Tankulic’s close-range finish gave the visiting team an 89th-minute consolation. |