Dundee United Archives - Page 2 of 7

Dundee United 0-4 Celtic – Celtic put United to the Sword in a 4-0 Rout

Celtic ran out convincing 4-0 winners over Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup at Tannadice on Saturday night. Goals from Auston Trusty, Camilo Duran, Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren ensured that Martin O’Neil’s side booked their place in the Quarter finals of the Premier Sports Cup. Celtic started the game on the front foot, and their first chance of the game came when Sebastian Tounekti drove to the byline before playing a pass to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian, whose effort from the edge of the penalty area was gathered with ease by Jack Walton in the Dundee United goal. On the 12th minute, United’s long throw aimed towards the Celtic box was followed on by two headed flick-Ons before the ball would fall to Julius Eskesen inside the area, his low strike cannoned back off the woodwork from 16 yards out. Eight minutes later, the hosts seen another strike hit the same post. Emmanuel Agyei tried his luck with another low effort, only to be denied by the smallest of margins. Celtic had controlled the early stages and found themselves ahead in the 22nd minute, Benjamin Nygren’s corner kick delivery found the head of Auston Trusty who was lurking at the far post to head the ball beyond Jack Walton to break the deadlock. Within a matter of minutes, Celtic netted their second goal of the evening with summer arrival Camilo Duran striking to score his first Celtic goal. United had failed to clear the ball from danger inside their own box, Club record signing Kasper Hogh attempted to force the ball goalwards before Duran collected to calmly finish from close range. On the brink of half time, Kasper Hogh used his physicality to force his man into losing the ball before finding Camilo Duran who played an inviting ball to the far post, however Hogh was unable to get a proper connection onto the ball from a tight angle. Jim Goodwin’s men had responded well to being two goals behind, but it was Martin O’Neil’s side who went into the interval with a two-goal advantage. The hosts made a positive start to the second half but were made to watch the ball come off the frame of the goal a further two times. The first one came from a powerful and rising strike from Zac Sapsford in the box which flew past Celtic Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo who was outstretched, with the second coming from Bert Esselink’s headed attempt. Despite an improved start from United, it would count for nothing when Sebastian Tounekti finished off a brilliant counterattacking move by Celtic in the 53rd minute to put the champions in cruise control. The Tunisian winger who had been a danger all evening, cut inside on the edge of the box before unleashing a low strike past two United defenders before finding its way into the net. On the hour mark, Mika Baur came on to make his Celtic debut with Haissem Hassan also introduced for his debut shortly after. Baur, Celtic’s new midfielder from German side Paderborn was involved in play instantly and played a part in Celtic’s fourth goal in the 62nd minute. Baur flicked the ball onto Tounekti who played the ball to the feet of Benjamin Nygren as he let fly from 18 yards out, curling a fine effort high into the net leaving Walton with no chance. It was an uneventful last half an hour to the game, United continued to struggle to cause the Celtic defence any real trouble, with Celtic doing enough to claim a deserved clean sheet and progress into the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup.

August 15, 2026

“I think once we do gel, we’ll become a really good team”- Dylan Tait full of faith at Dundee United

Dundee United captain Dylan Tait has no doubt his side will bounce back from Sunday’s defeat to Hearts- even if there are potential teething issues due to this summer’s overhaul on Dens Road. Tait, who was part of the overhaul, was named Dundee United captain this summer insists that there’s positives to take from Sunday’s match, despite a poor scoreline. United were defeated 4-0 by Hearts at Tynecastle Park on Sunday, with seven new signings (himself included) in the starting eleven. Jim Goodwin has added a whopping eleven new players to his squad so far this window. Speaking after the match, Tait said: It’s a really good group I think already. It’s quite a tight knit group and we’re just trying to gel. There’s a lot of new boys to be fair. “In the teams I’ve played in before it’s kind of not been like that. There’s a lot of new boys, it’s a big turnover. I think once we gel, we’ll become a really good team.” Tait, without pulling any punches offered comment on the squads immediate reaction to the match, and how he tries to motivate them as captain, he said: ” Obviously, it’s a sore result after last week. We played well last week and came into the game with confidence. We thought we could get after Hearts. Obviously, it’s a bad start, lose two goals. After that, I thought we came into the game a bit, we had chances and just didn’t take them. “The second half, it’s naive and soft from us. It’s something we’re gonna need to learn (from) quick. It’s a tough league. “I just think we’re a real new team, there’s a lot of new boys that’s not played in the league before, that’s what can happen against the good teams in this league. You need to just stick together. That’s what I was saying in there, you need to work harder than the opposition, you need to run hard and when the going gets tough- that’s when you need to stick together and that’s the most important thing. “When we do look back at the game, there was a lot of good things in the game, in possession. We got into good areas, when you get into good areas can you make something happen and really take your chances like Hearts did?” There’s no time for United to feel sorry for themselves, a check of the fixture list will show it’s Celtic at home in the League Cup next week, before a Dundee Derby the following week. Speaking about the Celtic match, Tait said: “It’s gonna be another hard game, but it’s one we’ll really look forward to. It’s a chance to progress in a cup, so that’s something we want to do. “Celtic’s the best team in the league and they’ve won everything for however many years, so it’s gonna be a hard game, but we’ll have a game plan to go into it.”

August 11, 2026

“I spoke to him in the summer, we tried to bring him to Dundee United”- Jim Goodwin makes transfer admission following Hearts defeat

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin branded his side’s 4-0 loss at Tynecastle ’embarrassing’, but also admitted that the scoreline wasn’t entirely a fair reflection of the match. In a fixture where the away side had won five of the last six prior to today, it was clear from early on that the trend wouldn’t continue. Goodwin also admitted that the scorer of Hearts’ first goal, Tom Renaud is someone who had been on his radar prior to the midfielder arriving in Edinburgh, even if he said a deal to bring him to Dundee United was never close. The Irishman was full of praise for Renaud and his goal, he said: “It’s a wonder goal from Tom Renaud from 40-yards, that can happen during the season. He’s a player that we know well. Obviously, I spoke to him in the summer, we tried to bring him to Dundee United, so we knew the ability that the player has got from that type of situation.” Dundee United went into the break 2-0 down, which led to Goodwin bringing on forward Zac Sapsford in place of Emmanuel Agyei, but this seemed to only further open the door for Hearts. Goodwin said: “We take off Agyei, who’s a defensive-minded midfielder, we bring on Sapsford and we spoke about the importance of the next goal, if we get it back to 2-1 then it’s game on again, and you know, we had two or three half chances at 2-0. “Sapsford gets played through, he’s unfortunate he can’t get the ball out of his feet. We have another opportunity from a long throw but we weren’t able to capitalise on these situations. I think the difference between the two sides today was in the final third. “Hindsight is a great thing, you know. Maybe we could have delayed making the decision, left Agyei on there. Hearts had two central midfielders in there as well, so we felt we could cope with that. We just thought at half-time we had to try and make changes that were going to get us back into the game.” Left-back Will Ferry has been linked with a move away from the club, but Goodwin is adamant that the arrival of Rangers academy product Kevin Ciubotaru isn’t a compensation for any potential transfer. He said: “I think he’s very similar to Will Ferry in a lot of ways. We’ve rode our luck at times in the last couple of seasons without having a great deal of cover in that left-back area. “I know obviously people will speculate, put two and two together and make up five, but he’s not coming in to be a Will Ferry replacement. We always needed a left back, it was the one area of the pitch we didn’t really have any cover in. I think we’ve got good strength in depth in all the other positions. “Kevin’s a terrific young player. He;’s obviously been in Scotland before, he knows what the league entails and he feels he’s got a bit of unfinished business. So he’ll be pushing Will Ferry for the time he’s here. If something happens in the transfer window in the next few weeks, then we’ve got a really good replacement for him.” United’s next fixture sees them host Celtic in the League Cup on Saturday, Goodwin acknowledged it’s a tough task, but is adamant his side still stands a chance, he said: “It’s an opportunity to get through to the quarter-final of the League Cup. The players know exactly what’s at stake. We’re not going to change in terms of approach to the game, in terms of how we want to be as a team. But certainly, we need to make better decisions in those big moments. “It’s obviously going to take a bit of getting over this one. We’ll do what we always do in terms of our debrief tomorrow and then it’ll all be about preparing for the next one.”

August 9, 2026

Vrancken seals first win in style: Hearts 4-0 Dundee United

New Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken secured in his first in charge of Hearts as his side dismantled Dundee United 4-0 at Tynecastle Park. It was a fast start at Tynecastle as Hearts midfielder Tom Renaud beat Jack Walton with an excellent strike from range in the opening minutes to score his second goal in as many games. Hearts continued to apply pressure in the opening 10 minutes as Claudio Braga went close. They then had a penalty appeal as Jamie McCart looked to be fouled in the box. Referee Kevin Clancy pointed to the spot after going to the monitor and Calvin Miller had no issue converting from the spot to put Hearts two goals up within 12 minutes. Following Miller’s goal, Dundee United would slightly grow into the game, but faced issues breaking down Hearts’ defence. United’s first chance of the afternoon fell to Lachlan Rose in the 25th minute, but his header was deflected wide for a corner. The ball fell perfectly to United captain Dylan Tait on the edge of the box moments later, but his shot was also blocked. Hearts went close to adding a third on the half-hour mark as Amadou Ba-Sy forced Walton to save from distance. Hearts retained possession as Braga struck the post. Tom Renaud was first to pounce on the loose ball, but failed to convert the rebound. United would go up the park, but Rose’s headed effort was once again deflected for a corner. Rose was pulled up for a foul on Sabah Kertoja short before half-time, going Ba-Sy and Daniel Bennie in the referee’s book. United were straight out the traps in the second half as substitute Zac Sapsford carried the ball forward, he laid the ball off for Australian compatriot Rose, but his tame effort was blocked. United continued their early second half pressure as the fans appealed for a penalty but VAR did not award a spot-kick. Moments later Hearts had their third as Claudio Braga cooly finished into the bottom corner. Three nearly became four as Kertoja drifted past Will Ferry in the box, but his one-on-one was brilliantly saved by Walton. Josh McPake netted Hearts’ fourth after playing a one-two with Braga, the winger then displayed an excellent first-time finish to Walton’s far post. He joined Calvin Miller in netting his first Hearts goal this afternoon. Hearts didn’t let United off the hook in th quest for a fifth as Braga’s close range effort was saved by Walton 15 minutes from time. United went close to a consolation goal in the closing stages, but Idjessi Metsoko failed to latch onto Sapsford’s cross at the back post. Jim Goodwin’s side proceed to have a handful of half chances, but none bothered Beau Reus in the Hearts net. Hearts will look to carry this form on Thursday night as they host Benfica in the Europa League third round qualifier, where the currently trail 6-1. As for United, it’s an afternoon to forget in the capital and it’s no small task up next as they host Celtic in the League Cup on Saturday. Hearts: Reus, Altena (Borchgrevink 73′), McEntee, McCart, Miller, Spittal, Renaud (Magnusson 64′), Kertoja, Braga (Wilson 83′), McPake (Mato 73′), Ba-Sy (Kabore 64′) Unused substitues: Fulton, Guendouz, Kamson-Kamara, Mendy, Wilson Dundee United: Walton, Rawlins, Esselink, Forbes, Ferry, Sevelj (Camara 73′), Tait, Agyei (Sapsford 46′), Randall (Farrugia 73′), Rose (Metsoko 60′), Bennie (Merghem 60′) Unused substitues: Eskesen, Graham, Iovu, Amissah

August 9, 2026

Wouter Vrancken eyes first win as Tynecastle boss: Hearts v Dundee United match preview

Hearts return to Tynecastle Park today at 3pm to host Dundee United on match day 2 in the Scottish Premiership. Life for Hearts under new boss Wouter Vrancken hasn’t got off to the start it did under Derek McInnes, with the Belgian losing his opening four matches. His side were beaten 2-1 at Pittodrie last week despite leading 1-0 in stoppage time. They come into this one on the back of a 6-1 thrashing to Benfica on Thursday night. As for Dundee United, they enter this match fresh from an impressive draw to Derek McInnes’ Rangers side on opening day. New striker Lachlan Rose has scored four goals in his opening six matches for United. New Hearts signing Sabri Guendouz spoke on Vrancken’s tactics after Thursday’s defeat in Lisbon, he said: “When we follow the plan, the team are good. If we win against Dundee United it will be good for our heads, for our feelings. It will help our confidence and it will be good for the preparation for the next game against Benfica and the next games in the league after that. “This is just the beginning. It has been difficult with the preparation we have had and the short time we have had to work with the manager. But now the season has started and we have to start winning games.” Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin said: “If we can play the way we did against Rangers, with the same organisation, intensity and quality, then I think we will give ourselves a chance in any game we go into. The most important thing for us is being competitive every time we take to the pitch and, ultimately, we always want to win.” Hearts enjoyed an unbeaten run at home in the league last season, but this fixture has been won by the away side in five of the past six occasions, with United unbeaten in their last three trips to Gorgie. Reports suggest Will Ferry could soon leave the club with Blackburn Rovers and Anderlecht interested in the Irishman. Goodwin looks to have preemptively accounted for Ferry’s departure by adding 22-year-old Romanian left-back Kevin Ciobotaru on Friday. It’s a fixture that promises goals, with United failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 17 fixtures on the road. Hearts last failed to score at home in the league in April 2025, the 1-0 loss to Dundee saw Neil Critchley sacked.

August 9, 2026

Bennie Ready for Premiership Challenge After Dundee United Switch

Dundee United have strengthened their attacking options after announcing the loan signing of Daniel Bennie from Queens Park Rangers for the 2026/27 season. The 20-year-old Australian youth international began his career with Perth Glory before moving to English Championship side QPR. Bennie has made more than 30 appearances for the London club over the past two seasons and can play anywhere across the frontline. United manager Jim Goodwin was delighted to add another attacking option to his squad ahead of the new campaign. “Daniel will provide another option for us going forward and add real strength and depth as we head into the season,” said Goodwin. “Daniel is direct and pacy and adds real versatility across our front line. I can’t wait to get to work with him.” Speaking to the Dundee United website, Bennie said: “This is such a huge club and it felt like, at this stage of my career, it is the best move to keep developing my game on loan. “I know a few of the lads from the A-League and played with Josh [Rawlins] for a bit at Perth, so I’m excited to see some familiar faces and meet all the other lads.” Bennie has also represented Australia at under-20 level, making 14 appearances and scoring five goals. Dundee United begin their Premiership campaign against Rangers on Friday night.

July 30, 2026

Will Ferry and James Penrice Both on the Celtic Radar as Possible Backup

Dundee United star Will Ferry is on the transfer radar of Celtic after an impressive season at Tannadice, as is James Penrice. Ferry is now on the shortlist at Parkhead alongside Penrice as Martin O’Neill looks for cover for current Celtic man Kieran Tierney. The Dundee United man currently has interest from abroad, with a move to the Czech Republic having been turned down by Ferry. A fee of around £1.7 million was accepted by the Tannadice outfit, but Ferry didn’t seem keen on the switch. Blackburn Rovers are also keen. Ferry has made over 80 appearances in tangerine after joining from Cheltenham Town and has been a standout player for the Tannadice squad, with a big-money move looking very likely for the 25-year-old. For Penrice, however, there is plenty of competition, as EFL trio Blackburn Rovers, Norwich City, and Middlesbrough are all said to be interested in the AEK Athens full-back. Celtic’s fierce rivals Rangers are also reported to be tracking the former Hearts man as they look to add extra depth. Penrice began his career in Glasgow with Partick Thistle, which included loan spells with East Fife and Livingston, before joining the Lothian side again in 2021. The full-back became a key player for Livingston, making 96 appearances before joining Hearts, where he impressed highly, earning him a move to Greece. Penrice once again impressed, adding European football to his name after an impressive run in the Conference League, eventually bowing out to finalists Rayo Vallecano 4–3 on aggregate. Celtic were close to getting Sarachi back to Parkhead after a successful loan spell in Glasgow last campaign, but any return to the east end of Glasgow broke down, with Celtic now set to look elsewhere. Celtic fans have been quick to criticise the board for the lack of transfer business this season, with just the one signing of Duran coming in from Qarabag to bolster the attack. Celtic are also set to receive a massive blow, with star man Daizen Maeda set to make a Premier League switch. New boys Ipswich Town are set to sign the Japan international for £10 million, which Celtic will certainly be disappointed with, as many believe the price tag is far too low.

July 22, 2026

A COMPLETE preview of the 2026/27 William Hill Premiership

Millions of eyes from all around the world were fixed on the Scottish Premiership last season as Hearts bid to end the Glasgow-centric dominance that has reigned over Scotland since the 80s. Celtic got the title over the line at the last minute, which many will find disappointing, but the global attention on Scottish football can only be a good thing. Hearts’ weren’t the only underdog story of last season with Motherwell and Falkirk providing excellent stories in their own right. Whilst the 2026/27 season certainly has a hard act to follow in terms of entertainment factor, here’s everything you need to know about the league heading into the next season. Aberdeen: It’s a first full season in charge for Stephen Robinson who replaced Jimmy Thelin in March. It’s always hard to predict how Aberdeen will fair as life post Derrick McInnes can best be described as a rollercoaster. Aberdeen have flirted with relegation the past few years before proving to be too big to go down. But of course, there is the third place season of 2022/23 and the Scottish Cup win in 2025 to counter. It’s been a busy summer in the North East with 10 signings thus far. Stephen Robinson has re-united with Connor Ronan from their time at St. Mirren. They’ll hope the force is with them after signing Obi Wan Kenobi’s great-grandson in Nesta Guinness-Walker, Tony Yogane’s positive loan at Dundee has rewarded him with a move to Aberdeen. They’ve also added household Premiership names in Lewis Mayo and Brad Lyons to name a few. Incomings: Connor Ronan, Alexander Briedl, Lewis Mayo, Brad Lyons, Toyosi Olusanya, Nesta Guinness-Walker, Dan Happe, Ayoub Mouloua, Marius Müller, Tony Yogane. Outgoings: Topi Keskinen, Alexander Jensen, Graeme Shinnie, Ryan Duncan, Marko Lazetic, Tom Mcintrye, Per Kristian Bratviet, Elvis Bwomono, Vicente Besuijen, Alfie Stewart (loan), Alfie Bavidge (loan). What to expect: Mid-table finish. Celtic: Celtic are now five-in-a-row champions, but it somehow feels like a dark cloud is hanging over the club. Despite the drama from the end of last season, it’s fair to say that last season’s Celtic side are probably the worst title winners in recent memory. Although, that speaks to just high the bar is for Celtic. Martin O’Neill will lead Celtic out for another season after signing a further one-year deal, somewhat delaying another managerial appointment. Despite criticisms surrounding their performances or style of play, O’Neill’s Celtic have shown that they can really turn it up when it matters, You can look ash their second half dismantlement of St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup semi-final, or snatching the title from Hearts with just minutes remaining, or their comeback against Rangers in the split and much, much more. Unfortunately for Celtic, the fall-out between the fans and the board continues after a lack of signings, with Celtic fans standing firmly behind the ‘not another penny’ campaign until they see change. Failures to secure new deals for Marcelo Sarrachi and Kelechi Iheanacho only add fuel to the fire too. It truly feels like a lot of discontent hangs over the club at the minute. Incomings: Camilo Duran Outgoings: Luis Palma, Maik Nawrocki, Kelechi Iheanacho, Stephen Welsh, Hayato Inamura, Josh Clarke, Shin Yamada (loan), Kasper Schmeichel (retired) What to expect: Title contenders Dundee: When Stephen Pressely was appointed as Dundee boss last season, many eyebrows were raised from Dundee fans and neutrals alike, many even tipped them to go down, but Pressely kept them up at a canter. They’ll be without last season’s star man in Luke Graham after the defender departed for Stoke in a club record deal. Losses of Trevor Carson and Jon McCracken in the goalkeeping department may force the club to look for a replacement between the posts. Incomings: Idris Odutayo, Zan Besir, Alan Forrest, Ryan Finnigan, Owen Bevan Outgoings: Luke Graham, Jon McCracken, Ethan Ingram, Clark Robertson, Paul Digby, Billy Koumetio, Emile Acquah, Lewis Montsma, Trevor Carson (retired) What to expect: Bottom-half/ relegation candidates Dundee United: Much like his former club Aberdeen, Jim Goodwin’s recent career is another rollercoaster. When he took the Tannadice helm in 2023 the club was as good as relegated. Goodwin led them back to the Premiership at the first time of asking, before securing European football upon their Premiership return, even going toe-to-toe with Rapid Vienna in the conference league. They seemed to revert to the mode with a bottom six finish last year. It’s been a busy window on the other side of Dens Road so far. Jack Walton has returned to the club, there’s also been promising signings from Australia whilst Dylan Tait is an impressive signing from their competitors in Falkirk. Incomings: Jesse Randall, Lachlan Rose, Joshua Rawlins, Dylan Tait, Michael Forbes, Jordan Amissah, Jack Walton, Medhi Merghem, Idjessi Metsoko (loan) Outgoings: Craig Sibbald, Ryan Strain, Ashely Maynard-Brewer, Johnny Russell, Kristijan Trapanovski, Dave Richards, Lewis O’Connell, Owen Stiron (loan), Ruairidh Adams (loan) What to expect: Mid-table finish Falkirk: Falkirk returned to the Premiership after 16 years last season, marking a double-promotion with a top-six finish. A side who built on solid home performances last season and nearly secured European football in the process. Falkirk are on the up at the moment and they can build on this success. Or, whatever goes up can come straight back down. They’ve lost star men from last season in Barney Stewart and Calvin Miller, Filip Lissah hasn’t returned to the club following an impressive loan spell. It could well get worse with John McGlynn being one of the leading contenders to replace Steve Clarke as Scotland boss. Incomings: Lewis Nielson, Jack McMillan, Deniss Melniks, Craig Sibbald, Scott Tanser, Jay Hogarth, Ethan Laidlaw, Paul McGovern Outgoings: Barney Stewart, Calvin Miller, Dylan Tait, Jamie Sneddon, Gary Oliver, Brian Graham, Rhys Walker, Sean Mackie What to expect: Bottom-half finish Heart Of Midlothian: Hearts were mere minutes away from becoming the first non Old-Firm cub to win the league in over 40-years. Derrick McInnes has since departed for Rangers and its a completely new look Hearts side for the Wouter Vrancken era. Numerous new signings

July 20, 2026

Dundee United land Champions League goalscorer Metsoko

Dundee United have confirmed the loan signings of Viktoria Plzen striker Idjessi Metsoko, holding an option to buy the Togo striker. After signing for the Czech outfit, the 24-year-old has spent 2 seasons in the Slovakian league for Spartak Trnava and Slovan Bratislava, even scoring in the Champions League against Stuttgart for Slovan. Last term he recorded 5 goals in 17 appearances for Trnava. Having scored against Guinea on his international debut for Togo, Jim Goodwin believes the striker is “ready to build” on his potential in the Scottish top flight. “He’s a powerful, explosive forward with great feet for a striker and quick across the ground.” “So he possesses all the attributes we felt we needed when looking for another forward. “He’s had a great last couple of years, scoring in the Champions League and on his international debut, and we feel he’s heading to Scotland ready to build on the groundwork he’s laid.” Metsoko contributed 4 goals and 3 assists for his time at Slovan Bratislava, and left the Slovaks with a league winners’ medal. He added, “It has always been a dream of mine to play in the UK, and I’m looking forward to the new challenge. “The opportunity to work under the manager and coaching staff in the Scottish Premiership really appealed to me, and I can’t wait to meet the lads and try to help the team have a really successful season.” Dundee United kick off their campaign against Stirling Albion in the Premier Sports Group Stages this weekend.

July 7, 2026

Kilmarnock 3-0 Dundee Utd: Hosts leapfrog relegation rivals to boost survival hopes

Kilmarnock 3-0 Dundee United Deas (21′) Curtis (51′) Hugill (64′) Kilmarnock took a huge step towards automatic safety after a clinical home victory against Dundee United at the BBSP Rugby Park. Both sides had early chances in a frantic opening. Max Stryjek saved Zac Sapsford’s shot inside the penalty area after positive play from Will Ferry down the United left. Neil McCann knew a victory could potentially propel Kilmarnock out of the relegation playoff, and responded minutes later. Dave Richards tipped Tom Lowery’s header over the bar for their first effort of the game. United’s best threat looked to be coming from Ferry, who was influential in last weekend’s derby victory. His latest cross deflected to Sapsford inside the box, whose low shot arrowed wide from 12 yards. If they could build on the 3-0 win against their bitter rivals, they could wrap up the top spot in the relegation group. Dave Richards produced another top-class save in the 17th minute to keep the scores level. Greg Kiltie raced through on goal, but the Welshman spread himself to deny from close range. Killie hit the front from their first corner of the match in the 21st minute. A deep cross was headed home by captain Robbie Deas to lift Killie from the relegation spots. News of Dundee’s opener against St Mirren spread across all corners of the BBSP Rugby Park, to reinvigorate the home faithful . The tenacious Tshibola went close to doubling the lead in the 38th minute. But after dispossessing the United midfield, his speculative 25-yard effort was tipped over. Sapsford’s blazed over Neil Farrugia’s cross close to the break, as United pushed for the leveller. Kilmarnock’s excellent home form looked to be delivering another victory as the halftime whistle blew. Findlay Curtis endured a quiet first half but burst into life in the 50th minute. After latching onto a speculative forward pass, the winger showcases composure beyond his years, sidefooting past Richards to double the host’s lead. With national boss Steve Clarke in attendance, the youngster’s strike could help to foster another Scotland call-up with the World Cup on the horizon. Matters got worse for the Arabs, and especially for the unfortunate Samuel Cleall-Harding, in the 64th minute. The young defender misjudged a backpass, allowing Jordan Hugill to poke Killie into a 3-goal advantage and effectively end any hopes of a Dundee comeback. United were unable to test Stryjek in the first half, and Jim Goodwin quickly moved to his bench before the hour mark. Though safety is all but secured in the top flight, the manager would have hoped for a strong end to the season. The visitors pushed for a way back, with Kilmarnock happier to drop deep and defend their lead. Farrugia and Ivan Dolcek’s efforts were saved by the Pole, determined to keep his clean sheet. Victory moves Kilmarnock out of the relegation playoff spots for the first time in 18 games, but McCann insists “we’ve achieved nothing yet” ahead of a seismic clash against St Mirren next weekend. Teams Kilmarnock: Stryjek 7 Curtis 8 Stanger 7 Deas 7 Schjonning-Larsen 8 Kiltie 7 Lowery 7 Tshibola 8 Hugill 7 Anderson 7 Clescenco 6 Substitutes: Thompson 6 Polwarth 6 Curtis 6 Mayo 6 Dundee United: Richards 5 Cleall-Harding 4 Graham 6 Keresztes 6 Naamo 6 Ferry 6 Camara 5 Agyei 5 Sapsford 6 Watters 5 Farrugia 6 Substitutes: Dolcek 6 Sevelj 6 Russell 5 Sibbald 5 Stirton 4 Attendance: 5,529

May 2, 2026