Clinical Dundee United thrashed Arbroath for six on Friday night as they celebrated one hundred years' of games in style. And punters are already dreaming of a quick-fire promotion back to the top-flight despite boss Jim Goodwin urging his men not to get too carried away this early into the season.
The Tannadice outfit had asked for this match to be moved from the usual Saturday 3pm slot as it was exactly a century since their inaugural fixture against Dumbarton. Prior to that match, they had been called Dundee Hibernian. That called for a special occasion under the floodlights with several legends in attendance and the Terrors wore a commemorative white shirt to mark the moment.
And there was plenty for United to celebrate on the pitch too as Louis Moult’s double and further strikes from Ross Docherty, Tony Watt, Kai Fotheringham and Mathew Cudjoe sent them seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Championship. The expectant home supporters were left overjoyed at full-time, however Goodwin knows they have to remain grounded - knowing too well how quickly fortunes can change in football.
He said: “The players and my backroom team deserve credit because a hell of a lot of work goes into performances like that. We’re not getting carried away. We stay grounded as a group, as much as we are enjoying the position we are in.”
Wearing special white tops similar to the ones worn by the team on October 27, 1923, United almost got the perfect start.
Fotheringham’s whipped corner from the left nearly caught Arbroath keeper Derek Gaston by surprise but he managed to make a block as Terrors stars claimed the ball had crossed the line.
They did have it in the back of the net shortly after but Moult’s tap-in was ruled offside.
However, the striker was celebrating in the sixth minute when he fired home Glenn Middleton’s inch-perfect low cross from close range. They doubled their lead just eight minutes later when Fotheringham set up skipper Docherty to fire high past Gaston for his first goal of the season.
Arbroath finally threatened when Aaron Steele’s back-post cross was met by Mikey McKenna but his shot flew wide.
Normal service was soon restored before the break as Gaston made a hash of Scott McMann’s deep cross and
Fotheringham was left with a tap-in to bury.
Arbroath had the first chance of the second half with Jermaine Hylton playing in McKenna, only for his shot to be well blocked by home keeper Jack Walton. United then made it four in the 57th minute.
Gaston pulled off a good save from a Fotheringham shot but the rebound broke to Watt and he dinked the ball over a defender before calmly slotting home.
United were running riot now and secured their fifth just four minutes later. Middleton sent a cross in from the left to Moult and he made no mistake, firing past the shell-shocked Gaston. Soon enough they would have the joy of six when sub Cudjoe fired home from a tight angle.
Arbroath boss Dick Campbell said: “We were poor. Every mistake we made in the first 20 minutes, we were buried.”