Sunday, July 29, 2001
FOOTBALL: STUNNED BY HAM-MER
Jim's late leveller stuns Bonetti's men

DUNDEE UTD ..2 DUNDEE .........2

DUNDEE UNITED super sub Jim Hamilton struck a dramatic last-gasp leveller to stun derby rivals Dundee and clinch his side a point.

Ivano Bonetti's team looked destined for an excellent opening day win until Hammy bulleted home a header with a last move of the game. It was a real sickener for the Dens side who looked shell-shocked as United fans spilled on to the pitch in celebration.

In truth, the Tannadice outfit can thank some eccentric refereeing by Dougie McDonald for getting them out of jail. The whistler contrived to add on almost four minutes of injury time and missed countless fouls in the build-up to the equaliser.

Charlie Miller had given United the lead but Juan Sara levelled before half-time and Gavin Rae put Dundee in front early in the second half.

Tannadice was bouncing ahead of this dust up, with both sets of fans creating the kind of atmosphere fans crave on the opening day of a season.

Dundee made the short hop across the street without the suspended Fabian Caballero, which meant a start for young Steven Milne, who signed a three-year contract extension earlier this week.

United were without banned Craig Easton and Canadian skipper Jason de Vos, who is poised to complete a pounds 750,000 switch to Wigan.

At the kick-off it looked a toss- up to predict the winner of this one, with both sides having a fair degree of optimism after last term's performances.

Dundee finished in the SPL's top six while United strung together a great run after the Christmas and New Year break to avoid the drop. Both sides possess real danger going forward, with United's Jim McIntyre looking fresh after his summer move from Reading and Dundee's Argentine Sara a constant threat.

Predictably, the action was fast and furious early on, with neither side managing to deliver the killer pass in the final third of the pitch. Indeed, the only real effort on goal came from home midfielder Tassos Venetis, whose long-range shot flew over Jamie Langfield's bar.

With De Vos certain to quit United, Danny Griffin in the heart of the defence was handed the skipper's armband. There has been talk about the Northern Ireland international heading to Middlesbrough but he'll just be happy to be playing again after his injury woes of last season.

But Dundee threatened when Giorgi Nemsadze almost set up Zurab Khizanishvili from a free kick in 16 minutes. The derby exploded in 21 minutes as United missed a golden chance to move ahead. McIntyre sped clear with some electric pace after Dundee's defence were caught square. Langfield called for offside but his appeals were turned down and he was left with no option but to drag down McIntyre. After the keeper was booked, Miller put the ball on the spot but the ex-Ranger smacked his shot off the crossbar.

Dundee fans erupted at the penalty miss but their joy proved short-lived as Miller made them pay seven minutes later. David Partridge's cross beat the Dens side's defence and Miller steamed in at the back post to net from close range.

The midfielder proceeded to taunt the Dundee fans by showing his belly but Dundee weren't finished and levelled in 32 minutes. A United defender failed to clear a Langfield kick-out and Sara showed tremendous alertness to fire a right-foot volley under Paul Gallacher. The scoreline was probably just about right at the break, with both sides having their moments.

United came out for the second half looking more determined and almost regained the lead in 48 minutes. Former Aberdeen midfielder Jamie Buchan connected with a volley on the edge of the box but was inches wide with Langfield beaten. Derek Lilley tried his luck after 53 minutes when he flicked the ball over Langfield but he, too, was off target.

It was anybody's game but the home fans were stunned as Dundee struck again in 58 minutes. Italian Alessandro Romano flighted over a cross. Sara did superbly to nod the ball back across goal and Rae pounced to stab it home from two yards.

The Dundee fans suddenly sensed another derby day success and began to cheer their side's every move.

That sparked a change in the United's tactics, with Jim Paterson sent on in place of Venetis. And they could easily have been level in 66 minutes as Lilley broke free from the Dundee defenders. The striker is usually deadly in the air but he couldn't direct his header and the ball bounced harmlessly across goal.

A couple of minutes later Paterson had a shot on goal but the effort was easily held by the goalkeeper.

At the other end of the park, Romano crossed to Sara, who would have nodded Dundee further ahead had he not been denied by Gallacher. United threw on Hamilton for Jim McIntyre and Steven Thompson replaced Miller.

With just 15 minutes remaining Dundee United pushed forward in a bid to try to take something from the game. Hamilton came close firstly with a header that flew just over the bar. That was quickly followed by a Buchan shot that was also just inches off target. Buchan had another desperate attempt with just two minutes remaining but his effort deflected off Carranza and over the bar. But, as the game headed into injury time, Dundee United sneaked the leveller.

A Paterson corner was met by substitute Hamilton, who nodded powerfully past Langfield to spark the pitch invasion.

REF WATCH + REF WATCH

DOUGIE McDONALD'S day started well but got steadily worse. He called United's penalty correctly but missed at least two fouls in the build-up to Jim Hamilton's goal. His watch was slower than anyone else's and who knows where he found four minutes injury time. Rating: 4/10.

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