YOUNG TERRORS IMPRESS IN FIRST LEAGUE WIN

The Young Terrors picked up their first win of the CAS Under 18 Elite League with an impressive 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock at the High-Performance Centre at St Andrews University.

Goals from Darren Watson, Fin Malcolm and Lewis O'Donnell in the second half ensured the youngsters ended a run of three straight defeats to get the campaign back on track.

The 18s took control of the game right from the off and could've found themselves a goal ahead within just three minutes after some great play from Watson saw him slip Layton Bisland down the right-wing. He looked to pick out Malcolm on the penalty spot, but the defender managed to get a foot in and clear the danger.

Then 20 minutes later Lennon Walker started a quick United counter-attack with Watson and Malcolm as his forward options. He went with Malcolm down the right flank, but his cross was deflected behind for a corner which came to nothing.

The Young Terrors then had two excellent chances to take the lead right before half-time. O'Donnell went close in the 44th minute with a free-kick going inches wide past the top corner, then just a minute later Kerr Smith produced a wonderful cross to find Watson unmarked in the middle of the box.

The young forward had time to bring the ball down but he went for the header and the ball spun off him and clipped the woodwork on its way wide.

United's pressure finally paid off ten minutes into the second half. Watson pressed the Kilmarnock full-back hard to win the ball back and break into the box. He looked like he was going to slip the ball to Malcolm, but dummied his way past the last defender before firing a low shot into the bottom corner.

It should've been two less than 60 seconds later as Malcolm latched on to a long ball forward. The defender hit the deck as he looked to foul United's young striker, who stayed on his feet, but the referee blew for a Kilmarnock free kick as the ball hit the back of the net.

But there would be nothing wrong with Malcolm's strike in the 57th minute as he finally got his goal to double United's advantage. Rhys Caves looked to pick him out with a forward pass which the defender blocked, but the ball broke back into the United striker's path and he slotted it home.

Kilmarnock almost pulled one back shortly after the hour mark from a free kick, but it came crashing off the underside of the bar and the United's defence cleared the danger quickly.

Watson was denied a second in the 63rd minute as he cut on to his right foot and saw his shot deflect on target, but the keeper was able to parry it wide. The Young Terrors would get a third less than a minute after with O'Donnell starting and finishing the move.

The young midfielder took the ball on the halfway line before linking up with Bisland on the right-wing. The full-back turned and found Watson in the box who, with the faintest of touches, laid the ball off for O'Donnell and he struck the ball like an arrow into the corner.

There were more chances for United to add to their tally. Malcolm found himself one-on-one with the keeper but an excellent tackle from the backtracking defender denied him, while Brown saw his shot from distance tipped round the post.

Ruaridh Adams will be disappointed not to have walked away with a clean sheet. Kilmarnock were awarded a penalty in the 89th minute and the young United keeper went the right way to deny them, but it was a white shirt who got to the rebound first to score a consolation.

"Delighted to be walking away with the win," said O'Donnell. "The last couple of weeks have been tough but it's great to finally get back on track. We knew we really had to start making an impact and winning games if we're to get anything out this league.

"We could've been a couple of goals ahead by half time and knew we just had to start taking our chances in the second half. Thankfully we did and it paid off.

"I'm looking to add goals and assists to my game. Everyone tells me that midfielders who score goals are worth a lot more than a regular defender so I want to make sure I can contribute that."

"If we can just keep performing like that, getting good results and playing the way we know we can play I think we've got a good chance of finishing in a very good place in the league."

Next up for the Young Terrors is a home match against Heart of Midlothian at the HPC at St Andrews University on Friday 30th April.

Team: Ruaridh Adams; Layton Bisland, Adam Hutchinson (C), Kerr Smith (sub Miller Thomson), Flynn Duffy; Rhys Caves, Lewis O'Donnell (sub Rory MacLeod), Shaun Brown; Lennon Walker, Darren Watson, Fin Malcolm (sub Dominik Naglik)

Sub not used: Stuart Heenan