Ross County 1
Dundee Utd 2
League (Premiership)

Match Report

United headed up the A9 to face a high flying Ross County side whose much improved defensive record had seen them start the season very strongly. The United line up had three changes from the midweek home defeat to Hibernian with Edwards, Robson and Clark making way for Sporle, Clark and debutant Kieran Freeman. A prominent contingent of Academy graduates represented our first team with Freeman, Appere and Chalmers in the starting eleven and Graham, Glass, Mochrie and Neilson taking berths on the bench on a sunny day up in Dingwall.

United started the liveliest without making any really clear cut chances and comfortably reverted to a back four formation after setting up with five across the back against Hibs. With the half hour mark approaching and neither team looking particularly dangerous it was ex-United man Coll Donaldson who opened the scoring for the home side rifling a loose ball from 20 yards past Benji Siegrist. After a half chance for Ross Stewart to extend County’s lead it was United who found the equaliser on 40 minutes with Peter Pawlett pouncing on a blocked Sporle shot to nudge it past the helpless County keeper. As the game flowed the Staggies created another headed chance for Stewart who nodded it into the turf and watched it bounce up and over the bar as the whistle blew for the end of an entertaining first half.

With neither team making any changes at the break it was United who began to take control of the game. Half chances came and went without further scoring until County carved out another clear opportunity for Stewart but the big striker knocked his effort past the post. A flurry of positive substitutions by Micky Mellon just after the hour mark changed the game in the away sides favour. The fresh legs of Cammy Smith set up fellow sub Nicky Clark who slid home what proved to be the United winner on 79 minutes. United managed the remainder of the game well as the Staggies efforts to equalise fizzled out and the Terrors finished the game in complete control.

A strong performance from a young Dundee United side and another away win which saw them finish the weekend in a very creditable early season fourth place.

Match report written by Sam Grogan