Dundee United 2, Glentoran 0
(Agg: 5-1)
IT'S well known that the Irish love a party, and how they celebrated
on Tayside last night. Glentoran brought close on 1000 fans to Tannadice
for the return leg of the UEFA Cup first-round tie and were handed a
football lesson by Jim McLean's men, but that didn't stop the
celebrations.
The Belfast fans chanted for and got an encore appearance from their
side after they had seen their favourites put up stubborn resistance
against a Dundee United team who went through their full repertoire of
skills to book their expected place in the second-round draw.
United were clearly relieved to be performing in their favourite
European arena and fully exploited the space they were able to find. In
fact, greater accuracy in front of the target would have better
reflected the gulf that existed between the sides.
Jim McLean carried out his pre-match threat to alter his side and
introduced John Clark and Allan Preston at the expense of Paul Hegarty
and Mixu Paatelainen. Central defender Clark was to have a particular
bearing on proceedings.
Following the opening phase of sparring it was Clark who applied the
killer blow when stealing in at the far post to send a powerful diving
header behind the exposed Smyth from McInally's precise cross from the
right.
Towards the interval Kevin Gallacher twice squandered simple chances,
whereas all the visitors could muster was a Billy Totten shot which was
deflected by Malpas, requiring an instinctive Thomson save to prevent a
goal.
Gallacher made amends for his profligate first half within two minutes
of the restart. A rasping shot from Van Der Hoorn was not held by Smyth
and the Scottish international striker made no mistake on this occasion,
dribbling round the prostrate keeper before drilling in.
DUNDEE UNITED -- Thomson, Cleland, Malpas, Van Der Hoorn, Clark,
Narey, Gallacher, Bowman, Hinds, McInally, Preston. Substitutes -- Main,
McGinnis, O'Neill, Krivokapic, McLeod.
GLENTORAN -- Smyth, Neill, McCaffrey, Campbell, Moore, Bowers, Devine,
Caskey, MacCartney, Jameson, Totten. Substitutes -- Douglas, Paterson,
Mathieson, Cleland, Craig.
Referee -- N Midgley (England).
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