The nightmare on Tannadice Street continues, but, unlike a bad dream, there doesn’t seem any waking from this one. Just days after a trouncing in the Dundee derby, Aberdeen inflicted a New Firm pounding on Dundee United, the club with whom they took the fight to and beat Celtic and Rangers in the 80s. The pitiful state the once proud Tangerines find themselves in has been recorded enough in recent weeks, but still the most serious criticism that can be made against them is that they are a club bereft of spirit. Their late surge in which they retrieved three goals, was more an aberration rather than anything else with Aberdeen, hardly the strongest side in the league, well in control but down to ten men before complacency set in.

Indeed this was only Ebbe Skodvahl’s side’s second win of the season which should further put United’s defeat into perspective. What compounded it all for them was that old footballing irony about a player returning to haunt his former club was realised with Robbie Winters scoring a hat-trick. It is two years ago this month since he was transferred and the cutting edge he supplied up front for Aberdeen is something sorely missing from United's current attack. It took Winters just nine minutes to make his mark when Eoin Jess played the ball into Cato Guntveit who touched it on to Winters. The striker’s shot took a deflection past Alan Combe. The second goal came ten minutes later and Stephane Leoni who had minutes earlier had to replace his contact lens still seemed unsettled when he lost the ball on United’s left flank to Chris Clark who hit the byeline before delivering a perfect cross for the unmarked Winters to head in from the six-yard box. After going close five minutes later the goal-getter turned provider just after the half-hour to allow Derek Young to score. With a disaffected United stumbling into each other it was an open invitation for Clark to cross from the left. In a comedy of errors, Combe flapped at it and the ball spun loose to Winters who fed it on to Derek Young and the youngster side-footed it past Combe.

Alex Smith sent on Craig Easton for the ineffective Joachim Fernandez who with David Hannah was being bypassed in midfield. Aberdeen had seized control with Darren Young holding back in a deep role as Guntveit foraged forward while Jess was able to roam across the park. On the wings Clark and Derek Young were stretching United to the limit with Winters turning central defenders Stephen Wright and John Licina with ease. All decent teams are built from the back and herein lies United’s essential problem. While John McQuillan plays at right back this is in fact the favoured position of the other three defenders Wright, Licina and Leoni. United have been creaking at the back in recent years and now with the absence of Maurice Malpas they seem to have collapsed. Meanwhile up front they managed to squeeze in their first shot on goal through Mvondo Atangana as the first half slid into extra time. Four minutes into the second half Winters should have made it four when Derek Young seared up the right and found the striker clear in the six-yard box but Winters struck his shot straight at Combe. But when Darren Young was sent off in the the 55th minute for a foul on Jamie Buchan, who was carried off, United found a temporary breathing space as the Dons regrouped. They were to grasp at a further lifeline when referee Dougie McDonald awarded a soft penalty in the 64th minute.

Clark’s tackle on McQuillan seemed legitimate and even the United player seemed to apologise for the decision but Craig Easton ensured the deficit was reduced. However, Aberdeen extended their lead with ten minutes to go again through a penalty, although there was no doubt about this one as Darren Mackie was pulled down by Combe and Winters swept the penalty into the top right-hand corner. In the last five minutes another window of opportunity remarkably opened up for United as first substitute, Stephen McConalogue headed in a Leoni cross and then just on 90 minutes Hannah blasted in a shot from 25 yards.

With four minutes added on United were rising like Lazarus out of a deep hole, but Aberdeen reappraised the situation immediately and won a free kick as the clock ticked over. Jess settled himself nonchalantly over the ball before curling the ball in from the right hand edge of the box. It was a thrilling climax to a game that looked dead and buried at half time, but unfortunately the lesson for United they almost got something out of it as much from Aberdeen’s laxity as their own efforts.

Dundee Utd: Combe, McQuillan, Wright, Licini, Davidson (McConalogue 51), Hannah, Fernandez (Easton 31), Buchan (McCracken 58), Leoni, Atangana, Thompson. Subs Not Used: Tchami, Onstad. Booked: Combe, Easton, Hannah.

Goals: Easton 63 pen, McConalogue 85, Hannah 89.