Dundee Utd0–1Partick Th

There were no changes in the Tannadice line-up against a Thistle side clearly intent on not losing. Consequently chances were limited as Thistle defended in depth. The first of what was to be an afternoon of squandered opportunities came after 8 minutes when Nelson raced to the edge of the box to block Dragutin Ristic's path to goal. The ball broke to Jerren Nixon who squared the ball to Billy McKinlay, but he screwed the ball wide with the keeper out of position.

Nelson continued to be tested, punching clear a Gordan Petric header from an Andy McLaren corner, but when Billy McKinlay found Ristic in the box seven minutes from the interval, the Croat should have done better than head the ball straight into the arms of the Jags keeper. Thistle's only first half threat came from a McDonald glancing header which slipped by the far post and a Pittman shot which whizzed past the post five minutes after the restart was again the exception rather than the rule in the second period.

Twenty minutes from the end, Jerren Nixon was sent clear, but Nelson came to Thistle's rescue by keeping out his low shot with an out-stretehed foot. United were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal three minutes from the end. A rare Thistle counter-attack up the left saw Pittman cross and lan Cameron flung himself to send a diving header past Kelham O'Hanlon. Picking the ball out of the net was virtually his only task of the entire afternoon!

Just three minutes remained, but United were unlucky not to strike back right away, Billy McKinlay chipping the ball against the bar from 20 yards and to show that our luck was right out, Christian Dailly's diving header from the rebound was saved by Nelson. Apart from being Thistle's first Premier success at Tannadice, this was also our first home defeat of the season to cap an unhappy afternoon.

Golac commented, "We only had ourselves to blame for making it a disappointing afternoon, because the game is all about taking chances and we didn't"