MATCH REPORT | A PROMOTION PARTY AT TANNADICE
4th May 2024
LIVINGSTON 1 (5)
DUNDEE UNITED 1 (4)
CINCH RESERVE LEAGUE CUP
14:00 TUESDAY 10TH JANUARY
TONY MACARONI ARENA
The Tony Macaroni Arena was the venue for Dundee United B’s first competitive outing in almost three months, as they clashed with Livingston in Group One of the cinch Reserve League Cup.
Line-Up
19-year-old Academy graduate Darren Watson returned to the fold after a spell on the sidelines with a foot injury starting at right wing-back, whilst Miller Thomson took up the same role on the left.
First-team regular Ross Graham lined up in the middle of a defensive trio flanked by Layton Bisland and Flynn Duffy, and Archie Meekison and Finn Robson held down the middle of the park in a two-man midfield.
Up top, a three-pronged attack of Kai Fotheringham and Mathew Cudjoe played off the wings, looking to invert into the half-spaces and receive to feet as often as possible, with Ugandan striker Sadat Anaku in the middle, who aimed to run in behind a relatively high Livi line and stretch the pitch.
Streetwise Lions Claim Upper Hand
Former Hearts and St Mirren frontman Esmael Goncalves, now 31, proved a handful from the off, and he was heavily involved in the opening goal on 11 minutes.
The Portuguese received the ball in a relatively unthreatening position around 40 yards from goal, before producing a neat piece of trickery to leave Bisland in his wake and breach the United defence. Goncalves wriggled along the byline before picking out Dylan Bahamboula in the middle who slammed home on the volley from less than ten yards.
The Lions’ experienced midfield duo of Scott Pittman and Jason Holt were pivotal in their dominance of the opening exchanges, happy to take the ball under pressure to draw the United press narrow and open spaces for advancing full-backs out wide.
Goncalves’ strong hold-up play forged another chance for the hosts with 22 minutes on the clock, this time skipping inside from the left as he fended off multiple United challenges before feeding Bahamboula once more, the winger taking a touch out of his feet and drilling a dangerous ball across the area which deflected off Graham and forced Newman to react sharply.
Jay McFarlane-Letham then raced down the right to collect a long ball in behind the defence before picking out Jaze Kabia in the middle, but the 19-year-old’s cross was just too high for his colleague to divert on target.
Engaging Higher
United began to engage Livingston higher up the pitch as the match approached the break, pinning them into the attacking half and reducing Goncalves’ impact on proceedings. However, the visitors continued to struggle with chance creation against a resolute back four featuring first-team mainstay Ayo Obileye - Meekison’s whipped, 25-yard free-kick which whistled past the post was the closest United came in the first period.
The West Lothian outfit withdrew Obileye, Holt and Pitmann on the hour mark, leading to an increased grip on the match for United.
Newman Heroics
United had to rely on Newman to save the day as Livi countered sharply through Bahamboula, with the Hexham-born stopper producing a brilliant reaction save to thwart Kabia’s venomous effort just inside the area.
As the game entered the closing stages, Sadat spurned a half-chance as he glanced Meekison’s wide free-kick past the upright, before drawing a penalty from Livi 'keeper Jack Hamilton four minutes later when he reacted quickest to a penalty box stramash.
Level
His Ghanaian colleague Cudjoe stepped up to the plate and cooly slotted home, sending Hamilton the wrong way and restoring parity at the Tony Macaroni Arena.
A fast break from United involving Watson and Meekison culminated in the latter bearing down one-on-one with Hamilton but showed too much of the ball to the 'keeper who raced off his line to smother the danger.
At the other end, Bahamboula bamboozled the defence with nifty footwork, even though he should’ve pulled the trigger first time when receiving a cut back from the left, and his eventual, close-range effort looked to be finding the far corner until the well-placed Duffy hacked clear on the goal line. The loose ball fell back to the winger but he wastefully blazed over the bar.
Fotheringham returned the favour seconds later, blasting over with the goal at his mercy after Thomson had twisted John Binnie inside out and delivered the ball across the area for the Stirling Albion loanee.
Spot-Kick Drama
For the second cinch Reserve League Cup match in a row, the Terrors would face a shootout to settle the scores after a draw.
Livingston executed five flawless spot-kicks, with United following their lead for the first four.
Despite scoring a penalty during normal time, Cudjoe saw his effort from 12 yards parried by Hamilton and the Lions secured the Group One bonus point.
Teamlines
Livingston: Hamilton, McFarlane-Letham, Longridge, Obileye, Cancar, Holt, Bahamboula, Clark, Goncalves, Pittman, Kabia (Williamson, Bonnoe, Reilly, Wilson, Fitzwater, Anderson, Konovalov
United: Newman, Thomson, Duffy, Robson, Bisland, Graham, Watson, Meekison, Sadat, Cudjoe, Fotheringham (Adams, Hutchinson, Mwangi, Bertie, Donald, Moore)
