Dundee Utd1–1Motherwell

Our home League programme opened as disappointingly as it had ended last season as Motherwell fully earned the point which they took from this opening day fixture. Indeed this was the third consecutive 1-1 draw between Motherwell and ourselves at Tannadice. Yet we started well enough by taking the lead after only eight minutes. A piece of wizardry by Paddy Connolly left two visiting defenders in his wake and his cut-back from one byeline was turned home by Hamish French via the far post. By rights Motherwell should have equalised almost immediately. Gordon Mair raced clear and though Scott Thomson blocked his shot the ball bounced high in the air and fell to Steve Kirk, who somehow contrived to shoot over the bar with the goal at his mercy. A near let-off for Mothewell preceded their equaliser. Paddy Connolly sprinted wide left cut inside and shot, and the 'Well defence cleared the ball not only to safety, but to counter-attack. Bobby Russell swung over a cross from the right which Nick Cusack dived to head into the corner of the goal. Two minutes from half-time Freddy Van Der Hoorn hammered in a shot which Maxwell couldn't hold, but a Motherwell defender denied the incoming Mixu Paatelainen.

Early stages of the second half produced little by way of goal-mouth incident at either end, but as the final quarter of an hour approached we produced a late flurry. The nearest we came to scoring was when Boyd sliced a clearance which McLean tipped over, whilst Kirk headed just over at the other end, so both sides had to settle for a point.