Dundee United and Rapid Vienna serve up cruel classic as Tannadice evokes European night of old

However, not even the most optimistic United supporter could have foreseen being two goals in front at half time against Rapid Vienna. It felt too good to be true, it proved too good to be true – eventually.

Unusual weather turned into a portent of doom. The Austrians managed 100 per cent accuracy in the penalty shootout at the end of a classic night of European football, with Bendeguiz Bolla striking the decisive kick. Amar Fatah hit the post with United’s first.

The hosts haven’t progressed through successive rounds of European competition since 1987’s march to the final of the Uefa Cup, long before any of the current side were born. The youngest, 18-year-old local lad Owen Stirton, had the chance to put United 3-2 ahead on the night in extra time but saw goalkeeper Niklas Hedl block well. The miss clearly affected the teenager but the home fans did their best to rally round him by singing his name.

Stirton was one of four Scottish youngsters introduced by Jim Goodwin in an effort to turn the tie back in United’s favour – Miller Thomson, Kai Fotheringham and Scott Constable were the others. It was cruel, so very cruel.

They had been back swaying in the old Shed end 26 minutes in when United took the lead in the tie for the first time courtesy of Max Watters’ header and then, three minutes before half-time, the striker extended his side’s advantage from the penalty spot after a VAR check had opened the possibility of the seemingly impossible happening, and United going in for the interval two goals in front.

The dream was on...

Beneath a magenta sky, Watters tucked the award to the right of Hedl. They were indeed now two in front and seemingly well set. While there was bedlam in the stands, half time brought the space and time for some reflection. Were United not two in front against MyPa 47 at half-time at home twenty years ago before succumbing to two late goals to exit the Uefa Cup? There was still work to do.

Fatah replaced Zach Sapsford, who had been fouled for the penalty, for the second half. The next goal was all important – it went to Rapid, as did the second one. The first, from Janis Antiste, was a glancing header from a corner and the second from big No.9 Ercan Kara, sent on to help rescue things for the visitors, was an acrobatic back-heeled flick into the corner from a cross from the left. The striker also had the chance to finish it at the death after 120 minutes of lung-busting action. His header went over. Dreaded penalties it was.

Earlier, much earlier, United had taken the lead with a wonderfully worked move in which Sapsford played a pivotal part. The Australian striker materialised as playmaker in the middle of the park and opened up his foot to release Will Ferry down the left. The skipper complemented the pass with a fine ball into the middle and the unmarked Watters planted a header past Hedl.

Cue eruption, which included a flare landing on the pitch. United midfielder Panutche Camara had to show nimble footwork to avoid it as it lay smouldering in the box. A scorch mark remained visible for the rest of the match.

Sapsford was at the heart of United’s second goal as well. The Australian embarked on a solo run and while his eventual pass was hit slightly too far in front of Watters, Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao’s clumsy two-footed challenge after the ball had been released saw VAR step in. The outcome was a booking for the defender and a penalty to United, which Watters, confidence brimming, took care of.

Only the old Shed end and the Jerry Kerr Stand remains from when Rapid Vienna last played at Tannadice a European Cup quarter-final. Like then, they were full of United fans, as were new additions the George Fox and Eddie Thompson Stands.

New stars announce themselves

The team might not have been vying for a place in the last four of Europe’s premier club competition, as on the last occasion they met, but it felt a lot like a European night of old. The Rapid fans contributed greatly to this and were in good voice as several hundred marched up from the city centre under the watchful eye of police. Not many would have attended in 1984, when the Rapid side featured such stars of European football as Hans Krankl and Antonin Panenka. As for United, the old heroes were foremost in many people’s thoughts. A clutch of them are now club ambassadors, including Paul Hegarty and Davie Dodds, who notched the second leg winner in 1984. While no one at United will ever do what he did and fire the team into the last four of the European Cup, he watched new stars announce themselves.

Watters, a 26-year-old on loan from Barnsley, won’t score 150 goals for United, like Dodds did, but he now has four in three games. The way Krisztian Keresztes, meanwhile, slid in to deny Antiste an almost certain goal was like Davie Narey in his pomp. As for Kucherenko, he was a moustache away from being the Ukrainian Hamish McAlpine.

It’s a different era and a different outlook now. Craig Sibbald was once again the lone Scot in the starting XI. Now a few weeks in development, the much-changed team looked a more effective unit.

But United could not relax. As well as the MyPa result in 2005, a more recent one preyed on their minds. Losing two second half goals meant they lost to Hearts on Sunday, with the visitors’ winner coming in injury time.

Petter Dahl, the dangerous Rapid No.10, brought a good save out of Kucherenko and then an even better one denied Kara with 18 minutes left. Antiste’s deft header in between times had assured a nervy last 25 minutes or so and when Kara pounced to ensure extra-time, it felt like there would only be one winner. And so it proved, though it was even more heartbreaking for United than they could have imagined.

Fatah’s penalty rebounded off a post and though United scored their next four, Rapid did not give the hosts the chance to recover, sending five well-hit kicks past Kucherenko to set up a play-off round encounter with Hungarian outfit Gyori ETO. United will not be comforted by knowing it's a very winnable tie but then there's always next year, which was their disappointed but proud manager's mantra afterwards.