Dundee Utd 3
Tatran Prešov 2
Cup Winners' Cup (1st Round 1st Leg)
Dundee UtdDundee Utd |
3 - 23 - 2 |
Tatran PrešovTatran Prešov |
 |
Cup Winners' Cup (1st Round 1st Leg) |
 |
| Goalscorers | |
|
Gordan Petrić (16) Jerren Nixon (66) David Hannah (70) |
Marian Skalka (10) Vladislav Zvara (pen.) (41) |
| Team Managers | |
|
Ivan Golac |
Belo Malaga |
| Starting Eleven | |
|
Alan Main Maurice Malpas Gordan Petrić Brian Welsh Jerren Nixon Jim McInally Dave Bowman David Hannah Billy McKinlay Craig Brewster Dragutin Ristić |
Peter Jakubech Lubomir Bajtos Kennedy Chihuri Stanislav Varga Vladimir Nenadic Peter Hlusko Marian Skalka Richard Hoger Jaroslav Kentos Vladislav Zvara Rudolf Matta |
| Bench | |
|
Stuart Garden David Craig Alex Cleland Christian Dailly Andy McLaren |
Radovan Kocurek Miroslava Seman Robert Kocis Marek Petrus |
| Substitutions | |
|
Andy McLaren for Dragutin Ristić (55) Christian Dailly for Craig Brewster (64) |
Robert Kocis for Kennedy Chihuri (76) Marek Petrus for Jaroslav Kentos (89) |
| Cautions | |
|
Maurice Malpas (51) Gordan Petrić (73) |
Stanislav Varga (18) Marian Skalka (23) |
| Red Cards | |
| None. | None. |
| Match Officials | |
|
Leon Schelings (Belgium) (Referee) |
Match Report
Despite welcoming back skipper Maurice Malpas back for his first game of the season, there was an early blow for the Tangerines as Tatran took the lead after only ten minutes after winning their first corner of the match. Hoger's kick was dummied by the influential Zvara and Tatran captain Skalka ran in to thump the ball low into the bottom left hand corner.
Fortunately, United hit back quickly and again it was a corner which led to the goal. Billy McKinlay swung over a corner from the right and Gordan Petrić powered in a header which Skalka on the line couldn't keep out as he diverted the ball into the roof of the net. United gained in confidence from that early reply and skipper Maurice Malpas was only inches away with a dipping long ranger.
The Slovaks, however, were still dangerous on the break as they formed a greenshirted barrier to continue to frustrate United's attacking efforts. And that threat on the break meant United fell behind again when Gordan Petric pulled Hoger to the ground and Zvara steered the spot kick just far enough away from Alan Main.
After a relatively slow start, United gradually stepped up the pressure and eight minutes after the teams turned round Gordan Petric clattered the upright with rocket-like first time shot from 25 yards. Both subs were thrown on for Ristic and Brewster and within three minutes of Christian Dailly coming on, Gordan Petric and Dave Bowman combined with the latter feeding David Hannah who cunningly beat the Slovak defence before curling in the equaliser over the diving keeper from just inside the box.
Three minutes later, United's fight back was complete. Billy McKinlay floated a free kick from just inside the visitor's half in the direction of Brian Welsh at the far post. The United central defender headed the ball back across goal for David Hannah to put us ahead for the first time in the tie.
Billy McKinlay twice went close and Jakubech punched away a 25 yarder from Christian Dailly, but the come back had taken its toll with Tatran surviving the last few minutes in reasonable comfort to restrict the deficit to a single goal, but had United known that would have been the outcome at half-time they would have gladly settled for that!
Golac said afterwards "I couldn't believe it was us the way we played in the first half. I am still very disappointed with the performance even although we won the game. We'll see a different Dundee United in the second leg and I am still very confident we'll reach the last sixteen."
Squad Statistics (as at September 15th, 1994)
| 1994-95 | All Time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Nat |  |
 |
|
|
|
| Alan Main (GK) | 26 |
|
5 | - | 182 | - |
| Brian Welsh | 25 |
|
6 | 1 | 118 | 9 |
| Maurice Malpas | 32 |
|
1 | - | 627 | 19 |
| Gordan Petrić | 25 |
|
7 | 1 | 42 | 2 |
| Jerren Nixon | 21 |
|
7 | 2 | 29 | 3 |
| David Hannah | 21 |
|
7 | 3 | 26 | 5 |
| Jim McInally | 30 |
|
6 | - | 348 | 21 |
| Dave Bowman | 30 |
|
6 | - | 315 | 11 |
| Billy McKinlay | 25 |
|
5 | - | 246 | 20 |
| Dragutin Ristić | 30 |
|
7 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| Craig Brewster | 27 |
|
6 | 1 | 46 | 21 |
| Christian Dailly (sub) | 20 |
|
4 | - | 102 | 14 |
| Andy McLaren (sub) | 21 |
|
5 | - | 63 | 4 |
League Table (as at September 15th, 1994)
No league table has been added for this season.
Manager's Programme Notes
Taking all the circumstances into account, I thought a draw with Motherwell last Saturday was a fair result. We played well in the first half, but things were difficult for us after Billy McKinlay was sent off, because it upset the balance of the side. The manner in which we played in the opening half an hour or was almost a perfect example of exactly what I am trying to achieve here. We knocked the ball about confidently and with purpose and produced some fine football which made it difficult for Motherwell to get into the game. But, as I have had to say too often in the past, having got in front with a superb goal from Dragutin Ristic, we proceeded to again shoot ourselves in the foot, as we do all too often, by losing yet another preventable goal through bad marking. When good teams go one up they hang on to that lead and we must concentrate our minds and work hard to ensure that we don't let a lead slip as we have done all too often in the past. In addition, we must become more ruthless and kill opponents off when we have them over a barrel as we did in the opening period of last Saturday's game with Motherwell. There is no doubt in my mind that we are getting towards what I want, but we must start doing it for the whole ninety minutes and not just for periods of a match. Of course, we were without Dave Bowman, Craig Brewster and Maurice Malpas last weekend and I fully expect all three to come back in the reckoning this evening which will be a major boost to us.
Tonight we embark on the European trail and from what we know of our Slovak opponents, they will try to play football and utilise a sweeper system. This should suit us, and I am very confident about the outcome of the tie as a whole. Not that we will be underestimating them. Our preparation towards tonight has been geared as if we are facing Sampdoria with concentration and discipline being instilled into the lads to prevent a repeat of the way in which we lost the lead against Motherwell. A combination of concentration and ability means you have 60% of the requirements to be an outstanding team. Obviously, in view of the away goals ruling, it is absolutely essential that we do not concede a home goal and if we can avoid doing that, I see no reason why we shouldn't progress to the second round of the Cup Winners Cup.