24/11/01 Parscelona 3 Galatasarab 4

November 24th 2001

 St Leonards Park, Dunfermline
(Notes taken by  Steven Maxwell)

Parscelona made a better job of this game than the encounter a couple of weeks previously and only just missed out on a second half comeback of spectacular proportions.

It wasn't a great start for Parscelona. With Dundee United firing over the bar first before Colin McKean shot straight at the United keeper, the visitors only took ten minutes to grab a goal, a low effort finding its way past both Keith Mackie and a bacon roll and some porn suspended from the crossbar. (You had to be there.)

United had a free kick blocked a few minutes later but it was only a temporary reprieve as a ten-yard shot nestled in the corner of the Parscelona goal with just twenty minutes gone.

Chances for further goals for both teams were squandered before half time with Alan Maxwell collecting  a through ball from Stuart Holland and firing wide, and United sending one effort over the bar and forcing a save from Keith Mackie in goal.

Unfortunately for no good reason other than he seems to be good at it, the same United player who was "subbed" for going mental in the previous encounter again lost the plot with his own players (including the one refereeing the first half) and received a warning after a shocking tackle directed at Colin McKean during a tantrum seven minutes short of half time.

Parscelona started the second half more promisingly but McKean once more sent his effort over the bar following an early free kick.

Disaster then struck as the Pars went three down after just 52 minutes when an 18-yard shot went in off the post.

Both keepers were then involved as Davie Sanders saw his effort saved before Keith Mackie produced another save at the other end. United then came close as they hit the post again but this time the ball stayed out.

Then it was back to that United lad to grab the attention. Unhappy that one of his players had accused him of fouling a Pars player, he lost the plot completely and decided to boot as many footballs as he could find out of the pitch and across the road. Two of the three balls make it as far as the dual carriageway, though only one car is forced to skid. He is eventually sent off. What a tit.

The game seemed to be all over when an unsighted Keith Mackie watched United's fourth go past him with only three minutes remaining.

But then the Pars began to stage a comeback. In the 88th minute, Grant Davidson scored a fantastic lob from, oooh, I don't know, about 150 yards; Colin McKean followed up a minute later to notch a second for the home team from close range; then Fraser Clark's long range lob brought it back to 4-3.

Sadly there was no injury time equaliser - if only we'd not waited until there were three minutes left to start playing.

Pars squad: F. Clark, M. Falconer, S. Holland, J. MacDougall, A. Maxwell, R. Arnott, S. Clark, G. Davidson, K. Mackie, R. MacGregor, C. McKean, C. Norris, C. Ozog, D. Sanders, J. Wilson