Dundee Utd 3
Tatran Prešov 2
Cup Winners' Cup (1st Round 1st Leg)

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."