Heading into any match where fans boast about sending shockwaves through Scottish football should naturally evoke some apprehension.
Only no such thing happened, and this is our dear neighbours we are speaking about so there is nothing to fear.
Sure, headlines like that garner attention on social media, but as Raith discovered last season, games aren’t won on X.
Derby fixtures are special, immensely special. They are sorely missed when either team is in a different division. The last encounter, a 2-2 draw in April 2022, set the stage for heightened anticipation for the 2024 edition. With live TV coverage, it being flag day, and a sold-out stadium, the excitement was palpable.
As a United fan in various group chats on WhatsApp, views on team selection took up most of the conversation aside from the usual social media screenshots, silly GIFs, and TikTok videos. There was even talk that the ‘derby fear’ had set in, allegedly worse than Man Flu I’m told…
Then came kick-off.
We were outstanding in the first half, scoring two excellent team goals and deserving to be ahead. In fact, we probably should have been leading by another goal or two.
Trapanovski should have made it 3-1 and put the game beyond our neighbours but it wasn’t to be and with 11 minutes left. The one error on Ross Graham’s report card saw a penalty be awarded and duly converted. Just like in 2022, it finished 2-2 again.
Fans of both teams will claim they deserved the win, but overall, a draw was probably a fair result. For us, this match will likely be filed under the ‘What if’ category. What if Trapanovski had gotten past the goalkeeper and tapped it in…
The game was end-to-end, filled with action, only one instance of VAR, drama, chances, clearances, last-gasp tackles, and singing songs about our arch-rivals – a brilliant derby atmosphere and an excellent advert for Scottish football!
No sign of bloodthirsty sharks today, but then again, they haven’t had a feeding frenzy at Tannadice for 20 years.
Ronny Costello can be found at the Dode Fox Podcast
Scottish football,Derby fixtures,Trapanovski,Ross Graham
