Football: Pressley dominates all areas

Dundee United 4 Aberdeen

Dundee United showed they are back to being a threat to the top clubs by trouncing Aberdeen at a canter and replacing them in third place in the Premier Division yesterday.

Steve Pressley, the former Rangers and Coventry defender, was a tower of strength at the back and also took time off from his defensive duties to power home two headers.

At times United were unstoppable as they created chance after chance with a persistence which must have been very worrying for the Aberdeen manager, Roy Aitken. His side have now taken just two points from their last five games.

United's veteran midfielder Jim McInally provided the stability missing from that area earlier in the season while, wide on the right, Andy McLaren tormented Aberdeen's defence.

Robbie Winters, who scored his side's opener six minutes from the interval, was given an ovation from his team-mates when he was replaced 20 minutes from the end of a one-sided contest. Winters took advantage of a mistake by goalkeeper Nicky Walker, who slipped in attempting a clearance and managed only to pass the ball straight to the striker. He rounded Walker before sidefooting home.

McLaren proved to be the main inspiration in the second half, laying on inch-perfect crosses for Pressley to score with precise headers, before lining up Kjell Olofsson to score from 12 yards for the fourth goal in the 67th minute.

United created several more outstanding chances, only for Walker to atone for his earlier mishap with a series of superb stops.

Dundee Utd: Dykstra; Bowman (McKinnon, 65), Malpas, Pressley, Perry, Pedersen, Olafsson, Zetterlund, Winters (McSwegan, 70), McInally (Easton, 77), McLaren.

Aberdeen: Walker; McKimmie, Tzvetanov, Kiriakov, Irvine, Kombouare, Miller (Rowson, 61), Dodds, Bernard, Windass (Booth, 46), Glass (Shearer, 61).

Referee: A W Waddell (Edinburgh).