Source: Team_Talk
Terrors peg back Kilmarnock
Dundee United and Kilmarnock shared the spoils in an entertaining 1-1 SPL draw at Tannadice on Saturday.[LNB] The visitors opened the scoring after 22 minutes when Conor Sammon latched onto Mehdi Taouil's clever pass and smashed the ball low past Dusan Pernis in the United goal.[LNB]However Peter Houston's men got back on level terms within a minute when Johnny Russell prodded the ball past Bell for his second goal for the club.[LNB]The second half failed to produce as much goalmouth action as the opening period but some of Kilmarnock's passing was a joy to watch, with on-loan midfielder Alexei Eremenko at the heart of most that was good for the Rugby Park outfit.[LNB]United made two changes from the side that slumped to a 2-1 home defeat to St Mirren on Wednesday evening, with Barry Douglas and Russell preferred to midfielder David Robertson and striker Danny Cadamarteri, who both dropped to the bench.[LNB]Unsurprisingly Killie, on the back of three consecutive 3-0 victories, were unchanged from the team that defeated Hamilton in midweek, with defender Frazer Wright shrugging off a back injury to take his place in the starting XI.[LNB]After an impeccably well observed minute's silence in honour of Remembrance Day, the match kicked off with David Goodwillie, full of confidence after receiving his first call-up to the Scotland senior squad, trying an audacious shot from the halfway line that Cameron Bell managed to gather at the second attempt.[LNB]United's positive start continued as Prince Buaben's driven cross was headed just wide by his skipper Garry Kenneth.[LNB]The Scotland defender created the home side's next opening when he showed a terrific piece of skill to control an awkward long pass before sending an enticing cross into the box for Russell, who should have done better than head wide.[LNB]The visitors weathered the early storm and had a goal ruled out when Wright headed home an Eremenko corner for a foul on Kenneth.[LNB]And the Ayrshire side opened the scoring after 22 minutes when striker Sammon raced onto Taouil's intelligent through-ball and the Irishman drilled the ball past Slovakian stopper Pernis.[LNB]But United restored parity within 60 seconds when Russell was quickest to react to Buaben's cute pass into the area and prodded the ball past the advancing Bell.[LNB]Paul Dixon prevented the visitors restoring their advantage when he slid in to prevent Craig Bryson tapping into an unguarded net after Pernis had made a fine save to keep out Sammon's powerful left-foot drive.[LNB]Eremenko's curling free-kick bounced back off the upright before United made an enforced change on the half-hour mark when Scott Robertson limped off to be replaced by Stuart Armstrong.[LNB]United ended the half on top, with Killie defender Mahamadou Sissoko making a last-ditch block to cut out Morgaro Gomis' goalbound effort before Douglas whipped a free-kick inches past the post.[LNB]Eremenko was cautioned within five minutes of the restart for simulation after he fell to ground too easily under pressure from Kenneth.[LNB]The omnipresent Finnish midfielder was then unfortunate to hit the side-netting after some direct running from playmaker Taouil.[LNB]United still looked dangerous on the counter-attack with Russell using great control to dart away from full-back Ben Gordon, but Bell was equal to his low shot.[LNB]The visitors continued to push for the winner with United keeper Pernis relieved to watch an Eremenko effort take a wicked deflection of Ghanaian midfielder Buaben and bounce out for a fruitless corner.[LNB]With 11 minutes remaining substitute Armstrong was replaced by Danny Swanson, who was making his comeback from injury.[LNB]Both sides survived a few scares in the closing stages, with United substitute Jon Daly guilty of spurning two excellent chances, to each take a deserved point from an exciting 90 minutes.
