Ross Graham’s nerveless 99th-minute penalty kick secured a share of the spoils for Dundee United following a thrilling 3-3 draw against Kilmarnock.
The Tangerines were in control of the contest at the interval, with Louis Moult giving Jim Goodwin’s charges a deserved lead.
However, United collapsed for a spell after the break, allowing David Watson to bag a brace and Marley Watkins to head home a third. Killie were seemingly on their way to a maiden Premiership victory of the campaign.
But Craig Sibbald halved arrears from distance following an assist from VAR, before Graham slotted home the dramatic leveller after Luca Stephenson was felled by Fraser Murray.
United remain in fifth spot as a solid start to the season continues.
Courier Sport was in Ayrshire to analyse the action.
Two up top assessed
It was the question du jour ahead of United’s trip to Rugby Park.
Would Goodwin go with two up front?
Pairing Sam Dalby and Moult has proved an effective in-game tweak in several contests this season, with the latter rippling the net in the recent 2-1 Premier Sports Cup defeat at Motherwell.
They have a nascent understanding.
So much so that there was an increasing clamour for Goodwin to field a 3-5-2 from the start rather than the 3-4-3 shape that has left Jort van der Sande rather isolated.
The United boss made the crowd-pleasing alteration – a decision perhaps rendered easier by the absence of winger Kristijan Trapanovski due to a hamstring strain – and it proved effective, particularly during an impressive first half.
A ferocious competitor, Dalby used his physicality to get United up the pitch, holding possession and bringing Moult and David Babunski into the game. That trio tormented Killie at times.
And Moult took full advantage of his first Premiership start of the season, firing home his second goal in as many games.
The efficacy of the front two faded after the break as Kilmarnock took control of the game for the first portion of the second period. Nevertheless, there were signs of real promise.
United’s cross to bear
Kilmarnock’s threat is no secret.
Matty Kennedy and Danny Armstrong are tricky, direct wide men who possess great deliveries. Defending crosses, whether from set-pieces or open play, was always going to be the most crucial element of United’s afternoon.
And they did it relatively well in the first period, with Declan Gallagher shackling Kyle Vassell and Graham winning numerous aerial challenges.
However, the Tangerines totally lost control of the game during a wild 20-minute spell after the break.
They were seemingly spooked by Killie’s switch to a 3-5-2 and, in particular, the introduction of Watson, who drove from midfield and picked up clever spaces between the lines in a manner none of McInnes’ men did prior to the interval.
All three Kilmarnock goals came from deliveries into the box.
Watson’s double came from no-one getting close enough to the respective crossers – Armstrong and Kennedy – while Watkins headed into an empty net after a completely unmarked Robbie Deas hit the bar from a Kennedy free-kick.
For a period, the aggression and organisation with which United have defended their territory for most of this season was absent.
It could have cost them the match.
Key quadruple substitution
When Goodwin called his replacements back from their warm-up on the 72-minute mark, it received ironic cheers from a portion of the increasingly irked Arabs behind Kieran O’Hara’s goal.
Such was their desire to see changes earlier.
However, the Tannadice gaffer was vindicated, given the nature of his alterations. He went all-out, with a switch to 4-2-4 and the introduction of van der Sande, Miller Thomson, Glenn Middleton and Vicko Sevelj.
Had Goodwin done so earlier – before Killie had punched themselves out and seemingly settled for their two-goal margin – then the visitors could have been picked off with ease on the break.
As it was, United battered Killie for the final 15 minutes. Sevelj, Thomson, Moult and Adegboyega all tested O’Hara, with the excellent Sibbald ultimately bringing the Tangerines back into the game with a skipping drive from distance.
The finale was frantic but, over the piece, United more than merited their point.
A leader emerges
“Ross was – and still is – someone I see as a potential Dundee United captain.”
Those were the words of former United boss Tam Courts, the man who gave Graham his Tangerines’ debut in 2022, back in June.
And it is clear to see a leader emerging.
Now with 71 senior appearances for United under his belt, he is no fresh-faced academy graduate scrapping for minutes – he is a mainstay of a Premiership rearguard. And he knows it.
When Craig Napier pointed to the spot, Graham immediately shot his arm in the air to take responsibility, before grabbing the ball. There weren’t many keen to fight him for the duty.
Whether taking long throws, stepping up for nerve-shredding spot-kicks, battling to defend his own box or popping up with goals in the other, Graham is starting to exert his influence throughout games.
One suspects Courts could be proved absolutely correct in the fullness of time.
Peppering the goal
While they didn’t manage to escape Ayrshire with all three points, United did answer plenty of questions.
Can they start games better? Can they be more front-foot and take the handbrake off? Yes, and yes.
By the time Moult opened the scoring at Rugby Park, Stephenson had already passed up a gilt-edged chance to break the deadlock following a wonderful through-ball by Adegboyega.
It was a positive, energetic opening.
Over the course of the game, United racked up 19 shots – with a respectable eight on target. Prior to Saturday, their season high was 15 shots on the opening day of the Premiership campaign against Dundee. Progress.
