Dundee Utd 3-2 Aberdeen

Charlie Miller celebrates his late equaliser

A last-minute Billy Dodds penalty secured all three points for United in a match they looked like losing.

They took the lead through Barry Robson in the first half, but Scott Booth drew the Dons level with a penalty.

An Alan Archibald own goal put Aberdeen ahead and United looked beaten.

But Charlie Miller brought United back into the game with five minutes remaining and Dodds struck from the spot to earn the victory.

Aberdeen created the first opportunity after only three minutes and should have opened the scoring.

Scott Muirhead picked out Booth with an inch-perfect cross from the left, but although the striker managed to get his head to the ball, he was unable to direct it on target.

David Preece was called into action for the first time in the 13th minute when Andy McLaren found Dodds inside the six-yard box only for Preece to scramble across his goal and scoop Dodds' header from the bottom corner.

United opened the scoring in the 20th minute, when Mark Kerr slipped the ball into Mark Wilson, who crossed towards the near post for Robson to nip in ahead of the Dons' defence and slip a shot past the exposed Preece.

Barry Robson celebrates his opening goal

Aberdeen should have equalised in the 33rd minute as Booth found himself through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he somehow managed to mishit the ball off the outside of his boot and sent it wide of Paul Gallacher's left post.

United thought they had added a second in the 37th minute, but referee Stuart Dougal judged that McLaren had used a hand to send Robson's cross into the net, earning the winger a booking for deliberate handball.

Dodds tried to curl the ball beyond Preece as the second half got under way, but the ball simply sailed into the goalkeeper's arms.

Aberdeen were awarded a penalty in the 55th minute for a push by David McCracken in the back of Booth as he went for a Muirhead cross.

Booth himself stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.

Aberdeen then took the lead in the 64th minute as Archibald deflected Chris Clark's low drive past his own goalkeeper.

United equalised with four minutes remaining through substitute Miller, when he nodded home a Robson corner.

The home side sealed the points in the final seconds. Miller went down in the box under the challenge of Steve Tosh and Dodds made no mistake with the resultant penalty.

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Dundee Utd: Gallacher, Wilson, McCracken, Archibald, Duff, Kerr, Dodds, McInnes, Robson, Samuel (Miller 72), McLaren.

Subs Not Used: Bullock, Easton, Scotland, Holmes.

Booked: McLaren, Dodds.

Aberdeen: Preece, Rutkiewicz, Anderson, Diamond, Morrison, Clark, Tosh, Heikkinen, Muirhead, Hinds (Zdrilic 89), Booth.

Subs Not Used: Esson, Sheerin, Foster, Prunty.

Booked: Clark, Diamond, Tosh.

Att: 6,666

Ref: S Dougal