Dundee Utd3–1Aberdeen

For the first ‘New Firm’ derby of the season, manager Peter Houston made three changes from the side that had been so close to registering the first elusive win of the season at Tynecastle. Transfer deadline signing Scott Severin made his debut on the left-hand side of central defence partnering Garry Kenneth, while Sean Dillon switched to right-back to the exclusion of Keith Watson. In midfield, David Robertson was a straight swap for namesake Scott and Morgaro Gomis started in place of the injured Danny Swanson. Matches against Aberdeen are always eagerly anticipated and with their supporters having travelled in good numbers, there was a real derby atmosphere come kick-off.

In what was to be a truly explosive start, only a an instinctive reflex save by Dusan Pernis denied Chris Maguire inside the first 60 seconds. However, it was to be first blood to United with less than three minutes on the clock as both teams went at it hammer and tongs. Craig Conway was pivotal to the opener, as he was to be in all three goals. David Goodwillie started the move. Passing the ball out wide, he found Conway on the left. The winger played a one-two with Gomis before slipping the ball into Goodwillie’s path. His shot was blocked, but the ball broke to Jon Daly who chested it down to steer the ball home from just outside the six-yard box. On six minutes United’s lead was doubled and in bizarre fashion. Goodwillie’s looping chip was touched over by Mark Howard in the Dons goal for a corner. Conway took the corner and his in-swing kick was punched into his own net by Mark Howard as he tangled with Jerel Ifil and though Dons boss Mark McGhee felt there was a push on the defender by Goodwillie, it didn’t even rate a protest by the Dons defender. Three minutes later and United, incredibly, were three up! Paul Hartley brought down the rampant Conway in the box, and despite the Aberdeen skipper’s strong protestations that he had got a touch on the ball, all they earned him was a yellow card! Once the dust had settled, David Goodwillie drove the spot-kick low to the keeper’s right and although Howard got his hand to it, he could only divert the ball up into the roof of the net. Aberdeen gradually got a foothold in the game and were looking very lively with former Colchester striker Scott Vernon giving the Tannadice central defence a lot of work. But, it was at the other end that the best chance came, Jon Daly finding himself right in front of goal only to shoot straight at the keeper. The action continued thick and fast and on 26 minutes gone, the Dons pulled one back. Zander Diamond’s claims that he was fouled as he went up Ifil’s long ball were silenced by Scott Vernon as he took the ball on his chest and wheeled to fire a spectacular first-time volley high into the net from 15-yards. The Dons were denied a penalty six minutes before the break when Diamond claimed Kenneth had held him. And when the ball went out of play shortly afterwards in the region of Mark McGhee, the Dons boss kicked it away, for which he was sent to the stand by referee Mike Tumilty. Even that wasn’t the end of the action in a frenetic first half. Goodwillie forced Howard into a smart save from an acute angle before Scott Severin first time screamer from 40-yards had Howard at full stretch to save. Indeed, Garry Kenneth headed home what looked like a legitimate fourth, but the ref ruled it out for a foul. And on the stroke of half-time, a close range effort from Peter Pawlett was clawed away by Pernis at the end of a breathtaking opening 45 minutes.

Inevitably things quietened down in the second half as United proceeded to take the sting out of proceedings, shutting down the threat of Hartley which in turn, for the most part, snuffed out the Dons as an attacking force. Nikola Vujadinovic made his Dons debut after 50 minutes, replacing the injured Ifil. And goalkeeper Howard had to be alert to push a curling Conway free-kick over the crossbar in United’s opening attack of the second half. Chances continued to come United’s way. Aberdeen then made a double substitution after 62 minutes with Darren Mackie and Josh Magennis replacing the tiring Peter Pawlett and Mitchel Megginson as they sought a goal to get them back in the game. However, it was United who looked the likelier side to score, full-back Barry Douglas firing a free-kick fractionally wide. Then on 64 minutes, David Robertson came in at the back post to meet Sean Dillon’s low cross from the right, but blazed over. About Aberdeen’s only meaningful effort of the second period came 12 minutes from the end. Hartleys’s powerful curling free-kick from just outside the box was heading for the top right-hand corner, but Pernis produced a brilliant one-handed save to keep it out. Immediately, Scott Robertson came on for Conway. Shortly before the end, Paul Dixon came on for the hard-working David Robertson, and there was nearly a fourth goal for United, Goodwillie clipping the outside of the post with an angled low drive from the right as United ended the game well in control.