League · Premier Division

Dundee Utd4–0Kilmarnock

Willie Pettigrew 15′

George Fleming 24′

Billy Kirkwood 50′

George Fleming 83′

27 Oct 1979Saturday, 27 October 1979 · 3pmTannadice ParkAttendance: 6,403

Lineups

Dundee Utd

Kilmarnock

Dundee Utd · Starting XI

Kilmarnock · Starting XI

1Alan McCulloch
2Stuart McLean
3Alan Robertson
4Jim Clark
5Paul Clarke
6Derrick McDicken
7Bobby Houston
8Ian Gibson
9Joe Cairney
10Alisatir Mauchlen
11John Bourke

Dundee Utd · Substitutes

12Davie Dodds
14Ralph Milne

Kilmarnock · Substitutes

12George Maxwell
14Jim Docherty

Dundee Utd · Substitutions

Ralph Milne for Paul Sturrock82′
Davie Dodds for Graeme Payne85′

Kilmarnock · Substitutions

George Maxwell for Joe Cairney55′
Jim Docherty for Bobby Houston65′

Dundee Utd · Manager

Jim McLean

Kilmarnock · Manager

Davie Sneddon

Dundee Utd · Cautions

Not recorded

Kilmarnock · Cautions

Stuart McLean62′

Match report

A return to scoring form by United as the fans welcomed goals with a vengeance against a Kilmarnock side which had no answer to the Tannadice tide of attacks. Two well deserved points these for a United side which showed signs of returning to real form again after several setbacks. Willie Pettigrew and George Fleming notched in the first half. Billy Kirkwood made it three after 50 minutes and then George Fleming wrapped things up for the Tannadice men with seven minutes left.

Programme

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Programme Notes

Lately, through this column I have done very little other than to confirm the reputation I have apparently worked hard to get as a meaner. I dearly wish at this particular time that I could have other than criticism to pass on to you. Sadly I do not — principally because of the fact that in this game nowadays it is clearly too easy to con people, and that I do not and never will attempt to do. So here we go again! Not so long ago, at Hampden in fact at the Peru game. Jock Stein and I were agreeing that the Scottish fans were the very best and the very worst following in world football — all wrapped into one. There is no support capable of creating that unbelievable atmosphere at our games, and yet, on the other hand, the Scots have seemingly never learned the meamng of the word patience. They firmly believe in the old high punt upfield into the opposition goal area and clearly fail to appreciate that in todays game our sweepers are there to halt that type of approach at every level of football. In so saying, we here at Tannadice, I include myself amongst them, are apt to get caught up in that impatience — and Wednesday night was a prime example of it. Our pre-game tactics were geared to playing two wingers in an attempt to stretch the Hungarian defence to its full width, but within 15 minutes the full-backs were beginning a night starvation of our wingers and playing long diagonal balls across both sides of the park.

But even at that the results of our two games played m 'the past week have quite frankly been farcical considering the way the games have gone. However, it is only 'the results that count nowadays and between Wednesday night and today's vital Premier League clash against Kilmarnock the main job of ours has been in attempting to hoist the deflated confidence. Therefore, although I realise that you on the terracing must have turned up this afternoon completely frustrated concerning those last two results, I implore you to give the side some time today to find their feet and their confidence. It is absolutely clear that no Premier League outfit is going to be allowed by the opposition to run all over them in the early stages of any game, and therefore that is why patience is an all important ingredient from the terracings.

Match details

Referee: George Smith (Edinburgh)
Season: 1979-80
Opponent: Kilmarnock

UK number one

Source: Official Charts

Pre-match form

Previous meetings

Premier Division standings

As at 27 Oct 1979

Pos.	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Celtic	11	14	17
2	Morton	11	12	16
3	Aberdeen	11	10	13
4	Partick Th	11	-1	12
5	Rangers	11	3	11
6	Kilmarnock	11	-8	11
7	Dundee Utd	11	2	10
8	St Mirren	11	-6	9
9	Dundee	11	-14	7
10	Hibernian	11	-12	4

Other league results

Celtic 1–0 Rangers
Hibernian 1–1 Aberdeen
Partick Th 1–4 Morton
St Mirren 4–2 Dundee