DUNDEE UNITED 1 ABERDEEN 0
SPFL Premiership
Sunday 29th December 2024
Tannadice
Ref: John Beaton
Attendance: 13,581
A much improved Aberdeen were condemned to devastating defeat in the final minute at Tannadice in a game where there was nothing between the sides.
After losing 4-0 at Kilmarnock on Boxing Day, Jimmy Thelin made four changes to his starting XI with Graeme Shinnie, Angus MacDonald, Duk and Peter Ambrose starting on the bench. Into the side instead came Ante Palaversa, Gavin Molloy, Leighton Clarkson and Ester Sokler. Nicky Devlin skippered the team.
Dundee United beat St Johnstone 2-1 in Perth on Boxing Day, and Jim Goodwin made three changes to his side with Declan Gallagher suspended and Richard Odada and Kai Fotheringham among the subs, replaced by Kristijan Trapanovski, David Babunski and Luca Stephenson.
It was a tight opening phase to the game, both sides probing, but without fashioning any real chances. The first one arrived on 13 minutes, Aberdeen winning the ball back, high up on the left, Clarkson setting Jamie McGrath away. His pull back found Sokler, and his excellent first touch gave him the opportunity to unleash a fierce drive at goal, Walton producing a terrific save low to his right, Ferry then getting in a vital block to deny Topi Keskinen as he pounced on the rebound.
Strain was booked on 19 minutes, rugby tackling McGrath to the ground about 15 yards into United’s territory. Clarkson produced a good ball from the free-kick on the left flank, Sivert Heltne Nilsen getting into a good position, but he was seemingly unsighted by a crowd of bodies as the delivery came through, and the ball bounced off him and went wide.
Sokler went down injured after 24 minutes and took lengthy treatment as well as the concussion tests before he was able to carry on.
The hosts came close on 26, Middleton cracking a shot off an Aberdeen defender, the ball ballooning over Dimitar Mitov and back into play off the far post. In the aftermath, Devlin first blocked a Ferry shot, then got up and blocked a Trapanovski effort from point blank range, with his arms in front of his chest. The referee pointed to the spot, but the ball clearly struck Devlin on the forearm and there was no motion of his arm towards the ball. Referee Beaton was eventually sent to view the incident on the monitor by VAR, and he rescinded his decision. Sokler was booked for dissent during the inquest.
Mitov made a magnificent double save on 37 minutes after the assistant referee made a complete mess of things, mistakenly flagging for offside, then putting his flag down and carrying on. The Dons hesitated, understandably enough, but the hosts played on, Middleton cutting inside and flashing a shot at goal. Mitov saved well low down, but the rebound fell nicely for Trapanovski who looked certain to score with his header. Instead, Mitov was up again and flying away to his right to claw the ball away to safety.
Middleton was the threat yet again in the 45th minute, drifting in from their right once more, lashing a low shot towards the bottom corner, Mitov making another fine, sprawling save, low to his left this time.
Clever work from Sokler almost had Aberdeen ahead three minutes into added time. McGrath played a sharp pass in from the left touchline, 25 yards out, Sokler manufacturing a sharp backheel that looked destined for the bottom corner until Walton swooped down upon it, both goalkeepers having enjoyed an outstanding first half.
HALF-TIME: DUNDEE UNITED 0 ABERDEEN 0
Docherty joined the fray in place of Babunski at the break as the swirling wind across Tannadice went up another notch.
Walton had to look sharp again on 48, Adegboyega trying to cut out a cross but only poking it towards his own goal, Walton diving to his right to clutch the ball.
Given a free-kick just inside his own half after 55 minutes, Holt clubbed the ball towards the Aberdeen goal, Mitov scrambling back as the ball sailed just over the bar, another indication of the strength of the wind. Slobodan Rubezic was booked after taking out Trapanovski on halfway on the hour. Moments later, Kevin Nisbet and Duk came on for Sokler and Keskinen. Docherty was the next to be cautioned after catching McGrath on 63, Sevelj following him into the book three minutes later as the game became increasingly scrappy.
Trapanovski had a sight of goal on 69 minutes on the right corner of the box, the ball drilled through the box and only just wide of the target. A minute later, a great cross in from Ferry was flicked on at the near post, Mitov producing a fabulous reflex save to shovel the ball away, a goalmouth stramash following, the Dons eventually getting the ball behind for a corner. From that, the ball was played to Docherty on the edge of the area and his shot flew just over the bar.
Trapanovski made way for Fotheringham after 73 minutes. Molloy then went down for some treatment and a few moments later was replaced by MacDonald.
McGrath had Aberdeen’s best chance thus far to get in front a minute later. Nisbet’s pass set Duk away down the left and he surged into the box before playing the ball back to McGrath, coming onto it 15 yards out, but he blazed his shot wide of the target.
On 83, van der Sande came on for Strain as the hosts added another attacker to the mix. In the final minute Dante Polvara and Shayden Morris replaced Clarkson and McGrath. Polvara was booked for handball within a minute after he was bundled over from behind.
From the free-kick, which should have gone the other way, United were up the other end, and winning a throw. A long one came in from Ferry and Holt got up highest on the edge of the six-yard box to power a header just inside the post.
The Dons tried to respond, a cross slung into the box by Jack MacKenzie, Rubezic throwing himself into a diving header that was too high to trouble the goalkeeper. And with that, Aberdeen were condemned to another defeat.
DUNDEE UNITED: Walton, Strain (van der Sande 83), Adegboyega, Holt, Ferry, Stephenson, Sevelj, Trapanovski (Fotheringham 73), Babunski (Docherty 46), Middleton, Dalby.
Subs not used: Richards, Graham, Odada, Thomson, Ubochioma, Stirton.
GOAL: Holt (90+4)
BOOKED: Strain, Docherty, Sevelj
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Devlin, Molloy (MacDonald 78), Rubezic, MacKenzie, Palaversa, Heltne Nilsen, McGrath (Morris 90+1), Clarkson (Polvara 90+1), Keskinen (Duk 61), Sokler (Nisbet 60).
Subs Not Used: Doohan, Shinnie, Ambrose, McGarry.
BOOKED: Sokler, Rubezic, Polvara
