Dundee United U19s 6-0 Gretna U19s

On our arrival at Glenesk Park, we met with Chief Scout Ray Farningham.

Apart from his obvious scouting duties, Ray takes in our first-team opponents prior to their next fixture and gives a detailed report to the Gaffer.

Following Davie Irons and Derek Collins departure to Morton, Iain Scott, along with Andy Smith, are assisting Mick Wadsworth with first-team duties, and as a result Ray, whenever he can, will come along and offer his expertise with the under 19s.

His help is much appreciated and I’m sure the young lads will benefit from his vast knowledge of the game, having previously been assistant manager at Dundee under Jim Duffy, and manager in his own right at Forfar Athletic.

The conditions for the game were awful. A bobbly surface allied to a strong blustery wind sweeping diagonally across the park meant passes were frequently going astray.

United took an early lead when our defence was caught square and keeper Jake Cunningham conceded a penalty for a foul, with Ryan McCord netting the resultant spot-kick.

And they doubled their lead before half-time when Johnny Russell headed home a free-kick at the near post.

The second-half started a little brighter when we took the game to our opponents for the first few minutes, but that was short lived as we soon fell in to our old ways again.

United weren’t letting us settle, Liam Cusack and Nathan Taylor were working hard up front but were getting little support from their team mates, and we were beginning to get a bit fragmented in every area of the pitch.

Fifteen minutes into the half United added a third through Russell, and although we continued to try hard, too many of our players were having an off day. United finished the game by scoring another three goals in the last twenty minutes for an emphatic victory.

Ryan Dow converted from close range before getting behind our defence once again and lobbing the ball over the advancing Cunningham for his second. And in the closing stages, David Brophy made it six without reply from the edge of the box.

Not a good day for Ray to see them for the first time, but I’m sure that it was a one-off, as you who have seen them this season will testify, they have played very well in a number of games.

Gretna: Cunningham, Robinson, Sharples, Moffet, Easton, Fisher, O’Hara (Redfern), Shultz-Eklund, McKinley (Hughes), Taylor, Cusack. Subs not used: Smee, Pattison.