Football: Dons saved by Dodds

Aberdeen 1

Dodds 44

Dundee United 1

Winters 33

Attendance: 12,060

When you have two teams who have yet to win a league match between them, there can be only one outcome: stalemate. Aberdeen's Billy Dodds' 43rd-minute goal cancelled out the deficit created by Robbie Winters five minutes earlier to underwrite a tale of the totally expected.

A decade ago, this occasion would have been guaranteed almost to fill Pittodrie, with both clubs capable then of making a genuine challenge for the title. However, even on a gloriously sunny day, there were still plenty of vacancies around Aberdeen's impressive stadium.

That reflected not just the home support's distinct unease at the poor start to the season which left Aberdeen rooted to the bottom of the Premier League before the game, but also Dundee United's week, in which an exit from the Uefa Cup followed fast on the heels of a 5-1 demolition by Rangers last Saturday.

However, it was the visitors who came closest to lifting at least half of the clouds over this meeting with two good chances in the opening 12 minutes. Both were created by the boot of Andy McLaren, whose corners had the Dons' defence in disarray.

Robbie Winters pounced on the first, hooking in a shot but Aberdeen's goalkeeper, Jim Leighton, read the United man's intentions.

It took 28 minutes for Aberdeen to create their first attempt on goal, and even then, it was off target. Dodds did well to take a flick on from Brian O'Neil and swivel to get in his shot, but the ball drifted just a foot wide of the post.

Five minutes later, Winters showed his counterparts just how to do it when he put United ahead with clinical simplicity. Dave Bowman swung the ball over from the right and Winters got between O'Neil and David Rowson to firmly head past Leighton at the back post.

A dreadful mix-up between Gary Smith and Leighton almost presented Winters with another goal before Dodds managed to restore parity in the 43rd minute, much to Pittodrie's relief.

Bernard brilliantly beat his marker, Erik Pedersen, and delivered an inviting cross which Dodds headed past the goal keeper, Sieb Dykstra.

Eoin Jess, a hitherto anonymous figure, surfaced three minutes after the interval when Mike Newell's lay-off gave him a clear sight of goal but the striker squandered the chance.

Much later, Jess was given another opportunity with a free kick just outside the box, but his shot was extravagantly high over the bar.