Tolka Rovers 2 Dundee United 3

A LATE rally from Dundee United in Dublin last night ensured the Tangerines finished their pre- season trip to the Irish capital with a win in this entertaining encounter, writes Ian Roache.

Tolka gave the Tangerines a fright, though, and looked the likelier victors until the closing stages of the game.

The enthusiastic Irishmen were leading 2-1 with just eight minutes to go before Lee Wilkie’s second headed goal of the night, quickly followed by the winner from super sub Noel Hunt, put smiles on the faces of the travelling supporters at the Frank Cooke Park

Manager Craig Levein said a tough test was exactly what he wanted at this stage of the preparations.

“I like competitive matches and we got what we wanted tonight,” he declared.

“We huffed and puffed a bit and while there were some decent performances there were some not so decent ones as well.

“But performances are not the most important things just now.

“We played a system that did not lend itself to opening up teams and we need more creativity in wide areas but we’ll get there.

“Our next two games against Raith Rovers and Dunfermline will be even harder than this one then Barcelona will take care of itself.

“It will be the spell before and after the Plymouth game at the start of August that will be key for us.”

The Tangerines fell behind on just three minutes, when Rovers frontman Dean Kelly shot past United keeper Michael McGovern from 12 yards.

It was an awful start for United, who had lost their opening game on Monday night against UCD, and they had to recover quickly.

On cue, captain Wilkie came to the rescue on 13 minutes. The big defender started the move off on the half-way line, played the ball wide to Kevin Smith and was there to loop home a header from the striker’s deflected cross.

Danny Swanson, who was looking lively in midfield, tried his luck from the edge of the area but Tolka goalie Keith Donohoe dived to his right to smother the shot on 20 minutes.

Tolka had a decent shout for a penalty five minutes later but, instead of pointing to the spot when United’s Danny Grainger challenged Gerry McCarthy in the box, the referee harshly booked the Irishman for diving.

Wilkie almost put the visitors ahead two minutes from half-time when he prodded the ball goalwards from close range only for McCarthy to boot it off the line.

Having gone so close to taking the lead, United fell behind a minute later when poor defending allowed Alan Connor to take advantage of the indecision, nip in front of keeper McGovern and clip the ball over the line.

Grainger had the first effort of the second half, volleying past, but Tolka should have been 3-1 up on 51 minutes when David Lacy blasted a header wide from just in front of goal.

Tangerines striker Andis Shala had good attempts with two separate headers but United, legs tired thanks to the intensive training, were needing inspiration.

Off their bench came Irish duo Willo Flood and Noel Hunt, replacing Marco Andreoni and Shala on 69 minutes.

But the local side kept coming at them and, a couple of minutes later, Lacy ran through on goal and slid the ball under McGovern and into the net, only to be ruled offside.

The Tangerines needed somebody to step up to the plate again and it was no surprise that Wilkie was the man.

With 84 minutes on the clock Swanson, standing way out left, delivered a cross deep into the box and the giant defender rocketed another header into the net.

Then, just two minutes later, sub Hunt pounced on a Smith flick-on of a Mihael Kovacevic cross to nod United into a dramatic lead to end the trip on a high note.

Tolka Rovers—Donohoe, Muleady, Gravan, McDermott, Quinn, Maher, Berrigan, McCarthy, Lacy, Kelly, Connor. Subs not used—Moylan, O'Neill, Costello, Holohan, C Sheridan, D Sheridan, McGarry, Murray, Tancred.

Dundee United—McGovern, Kovacevic, Wilkie, Pope, Grainger, S Robertson, Buaben, Andreoni (Flood 69), Swanson, Smith, Shala (Hunt 69). Subs not used—Zaluska, Dillon, Dods, D Robertson, Gomis, Fleming, Cameron.