Dundee United 0 Falkirk 2

Last updated : 29 April 2006 By Footymad Previewer
It may have been glorious sunshine overhead, but the general mood around Tannadice continued to be doom and gloom as a desperate season drew to an end with Dundee United's absolutely shocking display against Falkirk.

It was a performance which suggested to manager, Craig Brewster that there should be a whole sale clearout of the entire squad and start again. If not, the Tangerines would be one of the prime candidates next season for relegation.

After an opening spell in which it was very much end of season huff and puff, it was no surprise that the opening goal came courtesy of a horrendous mistake from the United defence. Kenny Milne's chip into the box was nothing more than a straight forward clearance until Paul Ritchie stuck his thigh out, allowing the ball to fall to Alan Gow who made no mistake whipping it past Craig Samson from 12 yards.

The departing defender's woeful error certainly lifted the visitors as they proceeded to dominate the half with Charles Mulgrew's low corner being United's only threat in the first period. A free Milne header went narrowly over in the 25th minute as David McCracken stood, somewhat symbolically, admiring the cross rather than closing down.

Then, three minutes later, it should have been two as Samson stood glued to his line showing a lack of conviction suggesting he, too, will be leaving at the end of the season.

The Tangerine support were on their feet in the 39th minute for all the wrong reasons as they started making their way to the exits, in disgust, when the visitors made it two. Pitiful defending from a corner saw Gow miss another free diving header only for the unmarked Daniel McBreen to stab the ball in from three yards.

If the Tangerine faithful thought their team were poor in the first half, they were downright abysmal in the second. Even against 10-man Bairns, who had captain Patrick Cregg sent off for kicking David Goodwillie in a 22-man pitch battle, they could not make any headway which, to all in the ground watching, was no surprise.