Dundee United got their Premier Sports Cup campaign up and running with a comfortable 3-0 win over Stenhousemuir on Tuesday night.
Kristijan Trapanovski was the creator-in-chief in the first half, teeing up goals for Louis Moult and Declan Gallagher to effectively end the game as a contest.
Trapanovski then got in on the act himself after the break, notching his maiden strike for the Terrors following a wonderful delivery by Ryan Strain.
United, now tied on three points with Falkirk, Stenny and Ayr United in Group B, welcome the Honest Men to Tannadice on Saturday.
Ryan Strain: A nervous wait
Strain is likely to undergo a scan today after suffering a hamstring injury.
The sight was a worrying one.
The Australia international slumped to the turf with no-one near him and received treatment for several minutes. He attempted hobble off with the support of two members of the United support staff, but the pain was too severe.
Ultimately, a stretcher was required, creating a scene that Jim Goodwin readily admitted took the “gloss” off an otherwise satisfying evening at Tannadice.
Having missed three months of last season due to groin surgery, Strain was desperate to hit the ground running this season.
Moreover, his display on Tuesday night underlined what he can bring to the United side, tirelessly marauding forward, whipping in dangerous deliveries and carrying a goal threat.
So, it would be a hammer-blow for the Tangerines and, more pertinently, Strain if he is to face another lengthy layoff.
Macedonian magic
David Babunski was officially unveiled as a United player at 2.30pm on Tuesday.
By 7.45pm, he was enjoying his competitive debut for the Terrors.
Babunski, 30, boasts a peerless apprenticeship with Barcelona, and has played top-level football in Serbia, Japan, Romania and Hungary – and his composure and technical ability was evident.
He also displayed plenty of tenacity, snapping into tackles amid a deluge of rain in Dundee; welcome to Scotland.
Babunski’s first thought always appears to be to attempt a forward pass – the La Masia way – while he had three shots at goal in the first half alone.
Meanwhile, his compatriot Trapanovski turned in a man of the match showing against Stenny.
The summer arrival from FK Shkupi is admirably direct, seeking to drive forward and commit defenders every time he receives the ball. And he was rewarded with two fine assists and a goal against the Warriors.
On this evidence – and there will, of course, be sterner tests to come – the Macedonian duo could become real fan favourites.
Relationships forming
Fielding four debutants and adapting to a new formation, it was perhaps inevitable that United’s cohesion would leave something to be desired against Falkirk on Saturday – albeit the lack of drive and intensity was less forgivable.
Among the issues, there seemed to be a lack of understanding in wide areas; relationships and rotations were askew. Gaps were exploited.
However, there was real progress on that front against the Warriors and, while the difference in levels between the Bairns and Stenny must be considered, the movement of United’s wide players was vibrant and effective.
When wing-back Will Ferry hugged the line on the left, Trapanovski moved inside. And vice-versa.
The same on the right flank with Strain and Fotheringham. That created space out wide, while ensuring the Tangerines always had enough bodies moving centrally; players got close to Moult and there was support in the engine room.
Stenny struggled to cope with the fluency, particularly in the first period, and one could certainly see signs of how United’s new system is intended to operate.
Owen Stirton’s bright cameo
The last 20 minutes were relatively forgettable.
Perhaps due to the concerning injury to Strain casting a long shadow; maybe down to the sides making NINE substitutions between them – but the contest lost its flow and became more akin to pre-season fare.
However, 17-year-old Owen Stirton can be proud of his 30-minute cameo.
Of the four players introduced by Goodwin in the second period, Stirton – promoted to the bench in place of Rory MacLeod after notching a hat-trick in a U/18s friendly at the weekend – was by far the brightest.
Tuesday was the sixth time he has climbed from the bench for the senior side, and comfortably the most he has affected a game.
In rattling the crossbar with an instinctive strike, the die-hard Arabs was the width of the woodwork away from a dream moment.
Another drive was blocked, while he made a couple of intrepid dashes into the box.
Having only turned 17 in January, Stirton is unlikely to be impacting Premiership fixtures this season but, with prodigious physicality and growing confidence, he remains one to watch.
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