DUNDEE UNITED 2 ABERDEEN 1 William Hill Premiership Saturday 17th May 2025 CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park Ref: John Beaton Attendance: 11,490
After a dominant first half from the Dons, two quick fire goals from Dundee United early in the second half turned the game on its head and saw Aberdeen slip to fifth place in the final league table.
Following Wednesday’s defeat to Celtic, Jimmy Thelin made three changes to the Aberdeen side with Shayden Morris and Topi Keskinen among the subs and Alfie Dorrington out suspended following his red card. Replacing them were Kristers Tobers, Jamie McGrath and Jeppe Okkels. Peter Ambrose returned to the bench in place of Fletcher Boyd.
Dundee United lost 3-1 at Ibrox on Wednesday night and made two changes with Kristijan Trapanovski and David Babunski replacing Kai Fotheringham and Allan Campbell.
Resplendent in the new North Sea Kit, the Dons were on the front foot early on and Pape Gueye very nearly seized the lead in the eighth minute, weaving his way past a couple of challenges before firing a 25 yard howitzer across goal, Richards at full stretch to make an excellent save.
From Leighton Clarkson’s corner, Dalby somehow managed to clear over his own bar from three yards out, under pressure from Mats Knoester. The next corner saw McGrath twisting into space, only for his shot to thump off the bar, the Dons unable to capitalise on the rebound.
It was 1-0 on the quarter hour though, with Okkels registering his first goal for the Dons. Graeme Shinnie was set away down the left and fired in a low cross to the back post where Kevin Nisbet was chasing in. Richards and a defender managed to scramble the ball away from him, but Alexander Jensen collected the loose ball, rolled it into Okkels, and he lashed the ball into the net from six yards out.
There was a scramble in the Aberdeen six yard box on 35, the ball pinballing around, but the sheer weight of numbers in the blue shirts eventually came through as the Dons cleared the danger.
The vast majority of the match was being played in the United half, but Mitov had to be alive to make a sprawling save from Cleall-Harding’s drive from distance that came through a ruck of bodies before reaching the goalkeeper in the 40th minute. Dalby then guided a header just wide of Mitov’s far post four minutes later, as United had their first decent spell of the game.
HALF-TIME: DUNDEE UNITED 0 ABERDEEN 1
Trapanovski was inches away from an equaliser 40 seconds into the second half, coming onto a cross from their left, but under pressure from Shinnie, he headed the ball down into the ground and up over the bar.
Aberdeen responded with McGrath curling a shot wide from 20 yards after some neat possession from the Dons around the top of the United area on 50 minutes.
Nisbet should have doubled the Aberdeen lead on 52 minutes, firing over the bar from the edge of the box after good interplay between Clarkson and Okkels down the left had manufactured the opening for him.
With St Mirren winning at Celtic and United needing to match them to seize fifth place, they made a double switch on 54 minutes, Paton and Moult replacing Babunski and Trapanovski. It worked the trick, for United were level on 56 minutes, Gallagher winning a header from a Middleton corner to nod in from the edge of the six yard box.
Gueye was cautioned moments later after he and Ferry challenged for a high ball. Ferry was booked on the hour for handling the ball as McGrath looked to break clear.
Referee Beaton pointed to the spot after 61 minutes as Strain hit the deck under challenge from Okkels in the area, VAR confirming the decision. Dalby stepped up to take and sent Mitov the wrong way to score, and to send United above Aberdeen in the table. Aberdeen responded immediately by replacing Okkels and Gueye with Keskinen and Dante Polvara.
A mistake by Mitov almost cost Aberdeen dear on 65, a poor clearance putting United in on goal, but the goalkeeper atoned for the error with a good save at Moult’s feet. Morris came on for Ante Palaversa after 67 minutes.
Polvara almost levelled it up on 72. He began the move with a raking ball forward to Keskinen that the Finn held up well, then played back to McGrath. He helped it on to Polvara and his drive from 25 yards was tipped wide by Richards.
Ambrose and Oday Dabbagh were thrown into the fray on 75, Nisbet and McGrath replaced in Aberdeen’s final changes.
Middleton had a chance to finish things on 78 minutes, Clarkson playing the ball straight to him 25 yards but fortunately, the United man thrashed his shot wide of goal. A Clarkson 30 yarder then fizzed wide of goal at the opposite end.
Middleton collapsed to the turf twice inside two minutes, getting treatment the second time, before being replaced by Campbell after 88 minutes.
Richards kept his side in front with a brilliant reaction save in the 91st minute, Dabbagh’s header from six yards pushed away by the United keeper, and with that, the game was done.
DUNDEE UNITED: Richards, Strain, Cleall-Harding, Gallagher, Ferry, Docherty, Sevelj, Middleton (Campbell 88), Babunski (Moult 54), Trapanovski (Paton 54), Dalby.
Subs not used: Walton, van der Sande, Adegboyega.
GOALS: Gallagher (56), Dalby (63 (pen))
BOOKED: Ferry
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Jensen, Tobers, Knoester, Shinnie, Clarkson, Palaversa (Morris 67), Okkels (Polvara 64), McGrath (Ambrose 75), Gueye (Keskinen 64), Nisbet (Dabbagh 75).
Subs not used: Doohan, MacKenzie, Milne, Devlin.
GOAL: Okkels (15)
BOOKED: Gueye, Tobers
