Dundee United suspected they wouldn’t get it easy in the Championship and so it proved at Tannadice as they could only draw with Queen of the South.
The Tangerines had hoped for better on opening day but the win the 7,000-plus crowd craved proved beyond them despite a decent second-half display.
Former United man Mark Millar gave Queens a deserved lead five minutes before the break but the hosts hit back on 58 minutes thanks to a brilliant individual goal from Nick Van der Velden.
However, they just couldn’t gain an edge on the dogged Doonhamers.
Before kick-off, there was a ceremony inside the Eddie Thompson Stand to mark the opening of the Derek Robertson Concourse, named after the late director and faithful supporter.
The Tangerines were without the injured Paul Dixon, Lewis Toshney and the suspended Scott Fraser.
The game took an age to get going, with neither side looking sure of themselves early on.
The Doonhamers lost their captain Chris Higgins to injury on 24 minutes, with Darren Brownlie replacing him in central defence.
Kyle Jacobs had the first serious shot of the match on 26 minutes, with United keeper Cammy Bell saving his 25-yard strike.
The hosts finally had an attempt at goal on 32 minutes when Van der Velden floated a freekick in from the left.
The Dutchman’s cross was a good one and reached the head of Mark Durnan, only for goalie Lee Robinson to save.
Tope Obadeyi threatened to liven things up on 38 minutes when he showed great pace to run down the right and cutback but there were no takers.
On 40 minutes, the home fans were stunned when Queens took the lead.
Lyndon Dykes cut in from the left-hand side of the box and let fly, only for Bell to push the shot away.
The rebound fell to Grant Anderson and he unselfishly squared it to Millar, whose low 12-yard shot weaved its way into the net.
United had to find a way back in the second half and, on 52 minutes, they came close when Obadeyi raced down the left and pulled the ball back. Once again, though, there was nobody in the right position and the chance was lost.
On 58 minutes, though, the Tangerines were level and the goal was an absolute cracker.
There didn’t appear to be much on when Stewart Murdoch’s diagonal ball was collected by the Dutchman inside the visitors’ box.
However, Van der Velden showed great skill to chip the ball up in the air, bamboozling the Queen of the South defenders.
He then repeated the keepie-up trick before drilling a low shot into the far corner of the net.
On 65 minutes they were unlucky not be 2-1 up when Obadeyi smashed a shot off the base of the post, with keeper Robinson possibly getting a touch.
Cammy Smith then had a shot saved for United as the home team finally seemed to be getting into their stride.
Smith then missed a golden chance on 75 minutes after a sweeping move down the left. He himself carried the ball upfield at pace, played in Van der Velden to his left but then screwed the Dutchman’s cutback wide from just a couple of yards out.
United had a stoppage-time chance when Obadeyi was fouled by Jamie Hamill to win a freekick but Willo Flood’s cross was high, wide and not very handsome.
Attendance: 7,058.
Dundee United: Bell, Dillon, Durnan, Donaldson, Murdoch, Murray (Anier 69), Obadeyi, Smith, Flood, Van der Velden (Johnson 76), Robson. Subs not used: Zwick, Spittal, Telfer, Sukar, Souttar.
Queen of the South: Robinson, Hamill, Marshall, Dowie, Higgins (Brownlie 24), Anderson, Millar, Lyle (Dobbie 54), Hilson (Tapping 78), Jacobs, Dykes. Subs not used: Thomson, Rigg, Pickard, Brotherston.
Referee: Andrew Dallas.
