The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
United denied by late penalty
A DEBATABLE lastminute penalty for Rangers meant honours were even at the end of a highly entertaining SPFL U20 encounter at Tannadice last night.
Dundee United got off to the best possible start with a goal in the first minute.
Rangers keeper Alan Smith parried a Mark Millar effort for a corner and Jamie Montgomery scrambled the ball over the line.
Only a terrific save by Smith prevented Montgomery getting a second with the keeper tipping his well-struck 25-yarder over the bar.
Rangers were back on level terms on 34 minutes when Charlie Telfer drilled a 30-yarder into the bottom right-hand corner.
United made a whirlwind start to the second period.
Inside a minute, Scott Fraser curled a shot against the face of the bar and then Smith pulled off another terrific save to deny Montgomery.
United keeper Marc McCallum then pulled off a brilliant one-handed save from Telfer and shone again after the hour-mark when he beat away Fraser Aird’s snapshot from ten yards.
With six minutes left, sub Ally Coote slipped the ball into Montgomery’s path and he curled United in front.
However, Aird levelled from a contentious lastminute penalty awarded for handball.
Russell then missed a terrific chance to grab a winner for United but fired over after being put through on goal.
Dundee United: McCallum, Spark, Gilmour, Ballantyne (Russell 60), Butcher, Hendry, Connolly (Tumilty 81), Millar, Montgomery, Fraser (Coote 81), Erskine. Subs not used: McGovern, McLaughlin, Allardice, McNaughton.