Classy Dylan on song as cool strike seals late win
KILMARNOCK 1 Mckenzie (20) DUNDEE UNITED 2 (AET)
Mcnulty (4), Levitt (111)
Thomas Courts believes Dundee United fans could have witnessed a pivotal moment in the career of 21-year-old Dylan Levitt.
It looked like only penalty kicks would decide this tie until the Wales international served up the classiest moment of the match.
The on-loan Manchester United midfielder showed tremendous composure to glide into the box and stroke home a winner.
It was a strike that would have been impressive at any time, but to come up with such a special moment after 111 minutes takes some doing.
Courts said: “The goal is great for Dylan because he was actually starting to struggle with cramp.
“To come up with the winning goal at a time when he was probably at his lowest could be a big breakthrough in his development.
“He has unbelievable technical ability and he’s with us to experience things like cup ties.
“In five or six years’ time, we might look back and say we’ve been lucky to have seen such a gifted player.”
Courts hopes this cup success can help United in the league campaign.
He added: “In our team selection, we had to be bold and brave.
“We’ve been on the end of a couple of poor results recently but I wanted to send the players a signal that we were coming to attack the game.
“We gave up a few chances to Kilmarnock but I think winning was a real display of character, resilience and determination from the players to get over the line.
“It will give them a lot of confidence.” Both teams went at one another hammer and tongs for the full duration of the game.
Things looked grim for the home side when
United went ahead after only four minutes.
Marc Mcnulty was the man who silenced the home crowd by beating an offside trap and running on to dispatch the ball past the keeper.
The mood was completely different amongst the 1,500-strong party from Dundee.
They were already looking ahead to a quarter-final tie, although producing tangerine smoke bombs was unnecessary.
Kieran Freeman came close to doubling United’s lead but was denied at close range by Hemming.
That would surely have brought the tie to an early conclusion.
But Kilmarnock pulled themselves level and the manager can claim a partial assist.
Derek Mcinnes was imploring his defenders to send the ball to the left flank and they eventually got the message.
Shaw flicked a long ball into the path of Rory Mckenzie and his shot was parried by Benjamin Siegrist.
The rebound came straight back to the 28-year-old who, after a brief moment of hesitation, hit home with his second attempt.
That goal uncorked a cup tie that fizzed until the final whistle.
United dominated in spells but it was Killie that created the better chances.
Shaw dragged an effort wide when through on the keeper, Taylor had a header cleared off the line and a waft of a glove by Siegrest stopped an Alston piledriver.
It looked like United would snatch it with just five minutes of regulation time remaining but Ilmari Niskanen saw his shot come back off the post.
Into extra time it went and Levitt’s touch of quality sent United into the next round.
Kilmarnock never gave up and that would have delighted their fans.
Immediately after United scored, they burst up field and only a clearance from Harkes denied Shaw a goal that would have levelled things for a second time.