DUNDEE..1 DUNDEE UTD..1
No glory for Roarie as United edge top spot
WAGNER boldly predicted “another famous victory over the Tangerines” but Dundee were the side lacking the X-Factor yesterday as United triumphed on penalties.
The reality TV star was a guest of the Dark Blues for the Betfred Cup derby but the Brazilian’s social media jibes flopped after Roarie Deacon’s spot-kick was saved to hand Ray McKinnon’s side top spot in Group C.
It was a sweet triumph for the United supporters on their first visit to Dens Park since May 2016 when Craig Wighton’s goal in a 2-1 defeat sent the Tannadice club down to the Championship.
Comfort for Neil McCann’s side, however, is qualification for the last 16 alongside their city rivals and the opportunity to exact revenge next midweek after the clubs were paired together in the draw which took place immediately after the game.
Paul McMullan had given the visitors the lead on the stroke of half-time but Mark O’Hara levelled on the hour.
With no further goals the tie went to a shootout with McMullan, Billy King, Scott McDonald and Lewis Toshney all on target for United with Faissal El Bakhtaoui and Deacon the fall guys for the Dark Blues.
United boss McKinnon was delighted to have edged the clash on penalties – then revealed his players hadn’t bothered practising for a shootout.
He said: “I’m really pleased to win the group. We never had a recognised striker and we never practised penalties.
“I just told them to go up there and do it on the day – we can all take a penalty. We didn’t want to think like that as we just wanted to think about winning the game.
“We made up the list of who would take them because you have to see who is wanting to take penalties at that point. All of them stood up to say they would take them, which was positive.”
Dundee boss McCann kept faith with the 11 who comfortably disposed of Cowdenbeath 3-0 on their last outing in midweek with hat-trick hero Sofien Moussa leading the line.
That meant a start for Celtic loanee Scott Allan against the club where he began his career while United’s new signing McDonald had to be content with a place on the bench.
McKinnon made two changes to the line-up that defeated Cowdenbeath 4-1 last weekend