A moment of inspiration from teenage debutant Brandon Forbes kept Dundee United’s Premier Sports Cup hopes alive. Forbes, 18, produced a thunderous strike to beat Harry Stone just minutes after entering the fray as a replacement for Kristijan Trapanovski. His maiden goal – and he’ll do well to score a better one.
That secured a precious three points for the Tangerines against Ayr United after Marco Rus had cancelled out David Babunski’s opener for the hosts. But progression still hangs in the balance. was at Tannadice to analyse the action.
Several United academy kids have done their burgeoning reputations no harm in the last month. , who rattled the bar against Stenhousemuir in midweek, continues to shine as part of the senior group Young defender Samuel Cleall-Harding is yet to make his debut but is understood to have impressed teammates in training with how comfortable he looks in the first-team environment. But from this talented crop, it was Forbes who hit the headlines with a sublime winning goal on Saturday, capping a pre-season during which he has dazzled Jim Goodwin and teammates alike with his direct running and finishing ability.
As anyone who has watched United’s U/18s will attest – – Forbes’ penchant for the spectacular is well-established, with an ability to cut inside from the left and find the net. However, it was his dead-ball aptitude that shone through against Ayr when he , having illustrated bravado and belief to eve take on the shot. Forbe.