Dundee United left it late to secure a thrilling 2-1 victory over Dunfermline on Friday night as Chris Mochrie notched his second dramatic late winner of the campaign.
Kai Fotheringham’s first-half diving header gave the Tangerines the lead, before Owen Moffat took advantage of slips from Craig Sibbald AND Declan Gallagher to level.
An end-to-end second period saw both teams create, and pass up, opportunities to grab a winner — but if was Mochrie who showed class and composure to fire home with five minutes left to play.
Courier Sport was in Fife to analyse the action as the Terrors extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 17 games.
Chris Mochrie implements Dunfermline lessons — at East End Park
Match-winner Mochrie has been effusive in his appreciation of Dunfermline Athletic and the part they have played in his development.
His talent has never been in doubt.
Mochrie was, at one point, United’s youngest EVER player.
But he needed a formative season of senior action.
Playing games for the Pars afforded the youngster experience of handling expectations at a title favourite with a demanding fanbase, and rising to the physical demands of a gruelling campaign.
He matured, as a player and a person.
Those lessons were put into practice on Friday night.
Mochrie looked fit and sharp when he entered the fray with 20 minutes to play, before illustrating composure and technique to burst forward, produce a delightful shimmy in the box, and slam a shot past Harry Sharp.
Latest: Dunfermline 1-2 Dundee United
⚽️ Jim Goodwin's side lead again as Chris Mochrie drops the shoulder to get past the defender, then adds the finish.
📺 Live on the BBC Scotland channel#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/eM2y1wjkut
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) November 10, 2023
Nothing about that goal will have surprised the Pars fans who watched Mochrie last season, but to see his gift wielded against them in such dramatic fashion will stick in the craw.
Kai set for Scotland
In the post-Airdrie edition of this feature, the prospect of a Scotland U21 call-up for Fotheringham was mooted.
The player himself described that carrot as “an inspiration”.
Since then, Fotheringham has been named Championship player of the month for October, teed up the leveller against Inverness and scored the opening goal at Dunfermline on Friday night.
Although not enough to earn a place in Scot Gemmill’s initial squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers in Belgium and Hungary, he was — as hinted at by boss Goodwin — firmly on the radar.
However, with changes to that group expected in the next 24 hours, Fotheringham is set to be drafted in.
It is the latest landmark in a whirlwind 2023 for the youngster, who started the year on loan at Stirling Albion, and is richly merited.
Risk and reward
United can now luxuriate in another job well done; three points gained from a tough venue and their remarkable unbeaten run extended.
However, they were rocking in the second half, perhaps more so than at any point in a Championship fixture this season.
Speaking to the assembled media on Thursday, Goodwin emphasised his determination to ensure United weren’t “boring”; to eschew sterile position, get the full-backs bombing forward and bodies in the box.
A defensive “box” of four — the centre-backs and two defensive midfielders — is designed to act as a safety blanket.
But if the Tangerines do cheaply surrender possession, as they did with uncharacteristic regularity during a wobbly 20 minutes-or-so after Moffat’s leveller, then there are gaps in wide areas to be exploited on the turnover.
That danger only became more pronounced when the more attack-minded Mochrie replaced Jordan Tillson.
Josh Edwards, in particular, made hay on the left and was unlucky to see one intrepid dribble and shot fizz narrowly wide.
However, that is the nature of risk and reward.
There is no shape that perfectly balances a swathe of players in the final third with complete defensive security.
One will always be, to some extent, compromised.
And ultimately, Goodwin’s gutsy outlook was completely vindicated.
A welcome SPFL Trust Trophy selection dilemma
It would be wrong to focus solely on the impact of Mochrie.
Goodwin utilised his bench to superb effect at East End Park, with Cudjoe also making his mark.
Suspension followed by an untimely dead leg robbed the Ghanaian of his starting berth and early-season momentum but he is clearly reacting in the right manner.
His movement was excellent — finding clever pockets of space on the right wing — and he showcased his killer touch with a bright assist for Mochrie’s winning goal.
Declan Glass, meanwhile, sought to make things happen in midfield after replacing Tony Watt, who had a quiet night in Fife.
All of which will give Goodwin plenty of food for thought ahead of a hiatus from Championship football.
The United boss has so far resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes in the SPFL Trust Trophy, but did start Mochrie in the previous round against Peterhead. He must be considering that once more when the Terrors host Falkirk on Friday.
Cudjoe, the natural replacement with Fotheringham on international duty, Glass, Ross Graham and Kieran Freeman will be among several other players nursing hope of some meaningful minutes against the Bairns.
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