Its all over.

So much for no push overs eh?! Well its over and we were defeated 5-1. Messi got a marvelous hat trick. Barca were class. We put up a good effort. Well done to barca. Look out for a match report and and more pics tomorrow.

2nd half...

Now down 3-1 and to be honest we have fizzled out. Not the same amount of urgency from the lads. Messi has been a class act and scored a wonderful goal. The 3rd goal came from eto'o. Still time left...

Half time...

And its 1-1. Good effort from the lads so far. Bauben has been excellent so far, Feeney looks like a hand full so. Second half is about to start and barca are about to bring on Messi. Game on!

It was 1

And then it was 1-1. As quick as Bauben put it in the back of the net Titi clawed barca back into it. So its one all.

Live from Tannadice

So it s a live blog from the game and, with 20 mins gone, we are looking good. Neither team has created much yet but so far its been a good effort from the boys.

Result

Dunfermline 2 - 3 Dundee United

I didn't manage to make it through to Dunfermline last night so, rather than just regurgitate a match report from elsewhere, I will be rather boring and just go over the basics.


The game burst into life after half time after a somewhat drab first half.

The Pars took the lead in 58 mins through a Scot Thomson goal. It took United 2 minutes to level the game, with new boy Fransesco Sandaza getting his first goal for a club.

It was Uniteds turn to take the lead in the 63rd minute, with Sandaza bagging his second goal of the game.

The lead however was helf for only 4 minutes as Nick Phinn squared the match.

The boys kept plugging away though and the effort eventually pulled of as former Dundee Captain Scott Robertson scored his first for the club in the 86th minute.

So, the loss of two apparently avoidable goals is somewhat disappointing but it was good to see us plugging away until the end. A wins a win as they say, keeps the confidence up.

Next up - The mighty Barca on Saturday. Can't wait!

Match Report

Raith Rovers 0 - 4 Dundee United

Zaluska, Dillon, Dixon, Wilkie, Dods, Flood, Buaben, Gomis, Swanson (D.Robertson 71), Hunt (Sadaza 85), Feeney (Smith 77)

Subs Not Used: Kovacevic, Grainger, Shala, Gibson (GK)

A strong United line up picked up a good win against Raith Rovers at Starks Park yesterday.

United got off the mark with only 5 minutes gone, when on loan striker Warren Feeney latched on to a Noel Hunt pass, and put the ball home from inside the box.

It took only 8 minutes for the Irishman to double his tally for the day. Danny Swanson and Sean Dillon combined to get the ball into Feeney, who looped a header past Rovers Keeper O'Connor. The stopper appeared to get a hand to the ball but it was not enough to keep the ball out.

It was then Rovers turn to mount an attack however, Joe Dunbar's effort lacked any real conviction, and United Keeper Zaluska had no real problems picking the ball up.

It was then Swanson's turn to test the Rovers defence, with a jinking run ending with a shot from the edge of the box, only for the shot to sail wide.

United went into half time 2 up and with the second half only 10 minutes old, the boys widened their lead further.

Willo Flood was brought down in the box and Warren Feeney stepped up to take a penalty, which he coolly smashed past O'Connor, to complete his hat trick.

The scoring was then rounded off when Noel Hunt, who has been in amongst the goals already this pre season, received a pass down the left hand side from Gomis. The firey forward cut inside then placed the ball past the keeper.

Rovers did have a couple of chances as time whittled down, but they came to nothing.

All in all, a decent performance from the lads, looking like the match fitness is starting to come back.

Feeney commented after the game "It's great to score a hat-trick and these friendlies are good for building up confidence but the main thing is being in the best shape possible for the Hamilton game."

Next up it's Dunfermline on Wednesday at East End Park.

Results

So, two teams in action today, the first XI were at Starks Park versus Raith Rovers, with the second string away to Cowdenbeath.

Two encouraging results seen the first team win 4-0 over Raith, with the second string claiming a 4-2 victory over Cowdenbeath.

At Starks Park, on loan striker Warren Feeney got his 1st goals of pre-season, bagging himself a hat trick, with Noel Hunt on hand to score United's fourth.

And at Cowdenbeath, John Daly, David Goodwillie, Marco Andreoni and a Spanish Trialist (the same guy who set up a goal and scored one in Oban) all scored to hand United victory.

Not against the hardest of opposition, but we managed to scored 4 in both games which is encouraging.

Hopefully the signof things to come from the lads.

I will put up a more in depth report sometime tomorrow.

Tolka Rovers 2 - 3 Dundee United.

Atough match last night seen Dundee United eventually get a win over Tolka, but it was a testing time for the boys.

United left it late, coming from 2 - 1 down with little under ten minutes to go, to scrape a 3 - 2 win.

Tolka had taken an early lead with 2 minutes gone when Dean Kelly scored for the home side.

It wasn't long before United equalised, with Skipper Lee Wilkie scoring 9 minutes later.

However, it was Tolka who went in at half time with the upper hand, thanks to a goal from Alan Conner.

United were eventual winners though, with Wilkie bagging his second goal with 7 minutes left on the clock, followed by a Noel Hunt winner 2 minutes later.

Now it's back to Scotland for the boys, with a trip to Starks Park to face Raith Rovers on Saturday.

UCD 2 - 1 Dundee United.

No the greatest of starts to the tour of Dublin seen Dundee United defeated by UCD in Dublin last night.

Noel Hunt put United ahead with a header, in a first half that we dominated.

UCD, who had a number of first team players missing and a few trialists playing, came back strongly after half time.

A somewhat soft penalty was awarded and Alan McNally stepped up and Converted.

Brian King then scored for the home side what proved to be the decisive goal.

Next up is Tolka Rovers tomorrow night, in Dublin.

First Silverware of the Season

And hopefully not the last!

United yesterday won the (not so) prestigious Oban Tournament in....Oban.

The squad featured all the new signings, bar Sandaza who has not yet arrived back in Scotland, and another Spanish Trialist.

The results were;

United 0 - 0 Alloa

United 4 - 1 St. Johnstone
(D. Robertson (2), Dods, Trialist)

United 2 - 0 Hearts
(Kenneth, Swanson)

United 1 - 0 Oban
(Hunt)

United 2 - 0 Hamilton
(Smith, Gomis)

So maybe not a massive achievement but a good start to the pre-season.

Unfortunately I could not make it but I have heard a good time was had by all.

Onwards to the next games.