Dundee United 1-0 Hibernian

Chisholm happy to stay in front Mowbray concern with squad size

Dundee United eased the pressure on manager Gordon Chisholm with a battling win over Hibs at Tannadice.

Collin Samuel fired in the only goal on the hour when he latched on to a headed flick from Lee Miller.

Prior to the goal, Hibs missed three close range chances, with Dean Shiels twice guilty and Garry O'Connor also missing from inside the six yard box.

Steven Fletcher hit the crossbar with a header as Hibs piled on the pressure in the closing stages but United held on.

United started in determined fashion, snapping into tackles and working hard to close their opponents down.

Hibs, who were without the injured Ivan Sproule, Michael Stewart and David Murphy, were knocked out of their stride and failed to pose any attacking threat in the opening half hour.

United were guilty of squandering a number of good crossing opportunities but Barry Robson provided a good delivery that was headed into the path of Samuel by Miller but the striker volleyed wide.

Hibs had a great chance to go ahead after 35 minutes when Shiels stole in between two United defenders to meet a cross from Scott Brown and volleyed over the crossbar from close range.

David Fernandez then broke free of the Hibs defence but shot tamely at goalkeeper Zbigniew Malkowski.

And Shiels again missed the target from just a few yards as the game suddenly upped in tempo.

The exciting passage of play continued when Malkowski got down smartly to keep out a sweetly struck shot from Stuart Duff.

Minutes into the second half Hibs lost Guillaume Beuzelin to injury. The central midfielder picked up a knock early in the game and had not been able to influence the game.

Shiels passed up another opportunity when the ball got stuck under his feet after a Gary Smith pass had unlocked the home defence.

United were fortunate not to be punished for some slack defending when a quick free kick found Brown but Derek Stillie managed to tip away the midfielder's shot.

O'Connor was the next Hibs player to miss from inside the six yard box when he failed to convert a low driven ball from Derek Riordan.

Hibs were well on top but found themselves a goal down after a rapid counter-attack on 61 minutes.

Samuel ran on to a header from Miller and smashed the ball past Malkowski from 12 yards.

Hibs substitute Fletcher came close to finding an equaliser when his looping header hit the crossbar.

Steven Whittaker almost embarrassed Stillie with a long range shot that skidded awkwardly on the wet turf.

The visitors were piling forward and Riordan's swerving free-kick flew narrowly wide and Stillie made a great save from Whittaker's deflected strike.

---

Dundee Utd: Stillie, Wilson, McCracken, Ritchie, Archibald, Duff, Kerr, Robson, Fernandez (McIntyre 71), Miller, Samuel. Subs Not Used: Samson, McInnes, Kenneth, Robertson, Cameron, Goodwillie.

Booked: Kerr, Robson. Goal: Samuel 61.

Hibernian: Malkowski, Whittaker, Smith, Caldwell, Glass, Shiels (McCluskey 72), Scott Brown (McDonald 90), Beuzelin (Fletcher 49), Thomson, Riordan, O'Connor. Subs Not Used: Simon Brown, Morrow, Hogg, Rudge.

Booked: Glass, Thomson.

Att: 7,976

Ref: B Winter