Reserves Show 1st Team How Its Done

Dundee United’s first team might be struggling for goals, but the reserves don’t seem to have any problems finding the back of the net.

Lee Wilkie gained some much needed match practice before his loan deal to Livingston and also managed to add to his goal tally at the same time, scoring another header in the 37th minute to put United 1-0 infront.

Craig Levein thinks Wilkie needs more match practice & to work on his fitness, before he uses him in the United defence – but with 2 goals in 2 consecutive reserve matches, perhaps Levein should be considering cancelling the loan deal and using Wilkie as part of United`s main strike force for the Caley Thistle game this weekend

Although, the former Dundee defender wasn`t the only United player to get on the score sheet, as the Dunfermline reserve team tried to out-do their own first team squad in goals conceded column.

Last Saturday, Dunfermline`s 1st team lost to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park by an embarrassing 5-1 score line, but the reserve side went one better and went on to lose 5-0 to United at Gayfield.

After Lee Wilkie’s first half goal, the flood-gates opened in the 2nd half as Greg Burnett, Grant Smith, Ross Gardiner and then Grant Smith again, gave Dunfermline goalkeeper Greg Paterson an afternoon that he`ll want to forget.

Greg Burnett’s goal in the 53rd minute was a 25-yarder, then Grant Smith followed that up less than a minute later after the keeper couldn`t hold on to Marco Andreoni`s initial shot.

Just after the hour mark, Ross Gardiner made it 4-0 with another long-range effort from outside the box, before Grant Smith capped the afternoon off with a wonder strike 5 minutes later.

Smith scored his 2nd with a sizzling 22-yard right foot volley that Dunfermline keeper Greg Paterson could only watch – as it flew straight into the top-right hand corner of his goal.

After canceling plans to take a look at several signing targets, manager Craig Levein was at the reserve match and will have been impressed by the convincing way in which they dispatched with the East End Park side.

Although, one of the most encouraging signs for Levein was the continuing progress and impressive performance of long-term injury victim Steven Robb.