Dundee Utd6–1Motherwell

Sergio Henriques Games, hereafter known as plain Sergio, may not have found the net as the Brazilian made his United debut, but his presence for 62 minutes added a new dimension to United's play which eventually overran a beleaguered Motherwell side. Billy McKinlay was the other change in the Tannadice line-up and he was perhaps primarily instrumental in influencing the tangerine's best performance of the season.

Within a minute of the start, the Tannadice Scottish international midfielder had smacked a twenty yarder as United opened brightly. They maintained that momentum to keep the hard-pressed Motherwell defence working over-time. It was therefore highly against the run of play when the visitors sneaked away to score. Lambert played the ball through to Tommy Coyne who was in space and he carried on to prod the ball past Kelham O'Hanlon from the edge of the box. That goal and the torrential rain could easily have put a damper on United's bright start. However, eleven minutes before the break, United deservedly equalised thanks to a brilliant opening carved out by Sergio and executed by Billy McKinlay. The Brazilian's reverse pass put Billy McKinlay in the clear and his precision chip beat Woods and a defender on the line.

Six minutes later, Christian Dailly went down in the box and Billy McKinlay tucked away the penalty to give a fully-merited interval lead.

Motherwell opened the second half with Kirk blasting in a shot which Kelham O'Hanlon saved well. But United effectively tied up the points with a tremendous third goal. Craig Brewster won possession from Dolan on the left and fired in an angular shot which beat Howie and went in off the inside far post. Motherwell's resistance crumbled after the home goal survived three narrow escapes within the space of a minute, the last of which saw Jim Mclnally clear off the line.

Soon after Howie failed to hold a cross and the ball broke to Jerren Nixon who had come on for Games and he neatly flicked the ball to his left before curling the ball round the keeper from ten yards.

Three minutes later the visitor's defence took absent without lead. United's neat triangular play found Jerren Nixon who was momentarily stunned to find himself in so much room, but recovered in time to slip the ball low past Howie for the fifth after nut-megging Krivokapic.

It became a rout two minutes later when Jerren Nixon swept over a cross from the left and Christian Dailly headed home the sixth. Before the end, Jerren Nixon should have scored again, but delayed his shot to lose sight of an open goal. Craig Brewster slipped the ball past the post after Shannon gifted him possession and in the very last minute Maurice Malpas shaved the outside of the post from 18 yards as United finished in rampant mood. Little wonder that Alex McLeish commented that United were almost scoring at will in the last half hour!

Paul Hegarty said afterwards, "Some of the football we played in what were horrendous conditions was a joy to watch. Even those of us in the dug-out enjoyed it."