Dundee Utd 0
Rangers 2
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Tannadice welcomed its largest crowd of the season so far as nearly 17,000 came to see whether United could extend their perfect start to the league season to a club record sixth consecutive win, or if Rangers, whose league form has been causing more than just grumbling amongst their support, would back up their first league win of the season against St Johnstone, with a positive result against the league leaders. United’s line-up had required some late alterations from Jim McLean, as Paul Sturrock, who played his first game of the season against Hamrun Spartans in the European Cup on Wednesday was not considered fit enough for the match day squad. But of greater concern was the enforced absence of Ralph Milne with tonsillitis. Alex Taylor was brought back into the starting eleven to wear his number eight shirt, with Billy Kirkwood continuing in the advanced position he took up against Aberdeen. Rangers made several changes from the team that defeated Valletta in the Cup Winners Cup, 10-0, most notably, Sandy Clark and Ally McCoist would be up front at the expense of John McDonald and David Mitchell who had scored five between them on Wednesday night.

Despite the significant change to United's forward line, the home side created the first opportunity when an Eammon Bannon free kick from the right was met by an unmarked John Holt on the edge of the box, but the midfielder could not get enough power on his header to trouble Peter McCloy who easily collected the effort. But thereafter, United visits to the Rangers box were very much few and far between as they struggled to impose themselves on the match and in the 12th minute after some sustained pressure, Rangers took the lead, thanks to some uncharacteristically indecisive United defending. Ian Redford on the Rangers left crossed the ball to the opposite flank where Dave MacKinnon collected and immediately played an inswinging cross to the edge of the six yard box. McCoist jostled with Paul Hegarty for the cross whilst Hamish McAlpine left his line, but not with any conviction. The ball appeared to bounce off Hegarty and the United 'keeper, who failed to attack the ball or clear the players out of his road, could only watch it loop into his net.

This was the first time in the league campaign that United had been behind, and it did not spark the sort of response the home fans would have hoped for. Rangers should have had a second when a corner from the left by Davie Cooper, was met by Clark on the edge of the six yard box, beating a static Dave Narey to the ball, but his bulleted header was headed off the line by Maurice Malpas and cleared away by Davie Dodds.

Rangers were playing with a determination that was missing from United's play. Their midfield was winning the 50-50 battles and their forward play was full of a bustle and enthusiasm that the United defence were struggling to find an answer to. On top of this, Davie Cooper was enjoying his afternoon, giving Richard Gough easily his most difficult day at work this season. So much so, midway through the first half Jim McLean swapped his full backs with Malpas coming into right back and Gough switching across to the left. The difference was minimal. Cooper set up Iain Redford for the next real attempt on goal. The winger touched the ball inside for Reford running onto the ball from 25 yards out, and he struck it sweetly, but his low drive drifted past McAlpine's left post. From another corner Rangers came close again, when Craig Paterson won his header against Hegarty, with Bannon blocking on the line, and McCoist reacted to the rebound, but could not get his body shape right and scuffed the ball wide. A second Rangers goal was an inevitability, and it arrived in the 39th minute, with all the elements that had blighted this United performance. Alex Taylor was muscled off the ball in midfield by substitute Bobby Russell who freed Cooper to cross into the box, where a corner was conceded. Again, McAlpine came out for the corner with no real conviction, the ball sailed over his head, where McCoist headed it back into the danger zone, Sandy Clark flicked the ball goalward for Malpas to clear off the line, but the ball was driven back in where Clark reacted quickest of all to prod it into the net. The lead should have been further extended just before half-time, when McCoist broke through the United midfield to play in Russell who beat the offside trap, his cross to the far post deflected off Bannon and dropped onto the bar and out. It would be difficult to think of a more abysmal forty-five minutes of football from United this calendar year.

United brought on Graeme Payne for Taylor four minutes into the second half, and United created its first chance when Bannon's shot from the edge of the box went wide. Moments later a cross from Bannon on the left was left by Peter McCloy but swerved onto the top of the bar before bouncing out. Whilst United were having more of the ball, Rangers were keeping them comfortably at arms length, and continued to snap into tackles, turning over possession and creating meaningful chances. Cooper, again, delivered a delicious ball into the box that McCoist just failed to connect to, and then from a Cooper corner, McCoist swivelled and fired in a shot that McAlpine did well to smother. Redford again came close, when driving in from the Rangers left, his curling shot drifted just over the bar.

The full-time whistle was a relief to the United faithful. It has been a long time since a United team has been so utterly dominated at home. The defence appeared uncertain throughout and the midfield was simply unable to contain the visitors. At no point did it look like United could find a way back into the match. Suffering their first defeat in all competitions since a 2-0 defeat to Celtic in April, is no reason to panic, but United must rediscover their competitive instinct at home to Motherwell in the League Cup on Wednesday before new league leaders, Celtic, visit next Saturday on league business.