It was all square after the first leg of the Premiership play-off semi-final at Tannadice as Dundee United and Falkirk battled out an entertaining draw.
The Tangerines were twice ahead through goals from Simon Murray and Blair Spittal, but on each occasion were pegged back, first through James Craigen and then when Joe McKee netted from a free kick.
It means there is still all to play for when the teams meet again in Falkirk on Friday night, though the Bairns will go into that one as favourites.
After their emphatic quarter-final win over Morton last week, United were unchanged for a third consecutive game. There was, though, an early blow when, with a little over seven minutes on the clock, Stewart Murdoch limped off injured after he was hurt in a challenge with Bairns striker Nathan Austin. Club captain Sean Dillon replaced him.
United had taken a while to get into their stride but when Tony Andreu left fly from 20-yards, Robbie Thomson in the visitors’ goal did well to save to his left. Seconds later the Tangerines were raiding forward again and this time Murray was just off target with a shot from the edge of the area.
It was a good spell from the home team and Andreu was soon having another pop at goal. Once again Thomson was equal to the task.
In the 16th minute that pressure paid off and United were ahead. A long punt forward from Cammy Bell was flicked on by Thomas Mikkelsen and when Murray latched on to that, he drilled a low shot past the helpless Thomson and into the back of the net. It was the striker’s 17th goal of the season and a quite superb finish.
Falkirk were down but by no means out and when Luke Leahy drove the ball low across the face of the United goal, Lee Miller was just inches away from getting a touch.
And in 27 minutes the Bairns grabbed the equaliser when McKee crossed from the right and Craigen hooked the ball past Bell from around ten yards. It might have been against the run of play, but there could be no denying the quality of the goal.
Eight minutes before the break Craigen went close again when he let fly from 18 yards and was only denied by a fine stop by Bell. If they were a touch fortunate when they levelled, Peter Houston’s team were finishing the half the stronger team.
Falkirk looked bright after the restart, forcing a couple of corners, but when United broke out of defence Willo Flood tested Thomson with a low shot from 20 yards.
United were looking second best, but in the 53rd minute were ahead again thanks to another great goal. And once again Murray was at the heart of the action.
He carried the ball to the edge of the area, twisted and turned and then fed Spittal who netted with a fantastic angled drive from around 16 yards out. It was Spittal’s fourth goal in the last five games and couldn’t have come at a better time.
The lead lasted just six minutes and just short of the hour mark the Bairns were level again as McKee netted with a sensational long-range free kick. It was another fine goal, but a big blow to United as they looked to take a lead into the second leg.
It was a cracking game and, after replacing Wato Kuate, home sub Charlie Telfer pulled another fine save out of Thomson with a low 20 yard effort. The goalie was soon called into action again, this time to stop another Murray shot.
United were looking for that third goal and Spittal went close with another angle drive after a good run on the right flank.
Eleven minutes from time there was a let off for United when Craigen crossed and John Baird netted with a fine header, but as the former Dundee man headed off to celebrate, he was halted in his tracks by an offside flag and the “goal” was chalked off.
At the other end a Mikkelsen header from a Dillon cross sailed over the bar. Right on 90 minutes Mikkelsen got his head to a Telfer cross only to see Thomson pull off the save off the night, palming the ball away one handed and United had to settle for a draw.
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