Hampden was a field of dreams, Tangerine Dream for Dundee United. The Tannadice men were in seventh heaven as they finally dumped their Scottish Cup Final Hoodoo. And at the same time wrecked Rangers back to back treble hopes. After ending Rangers monopoly with a deserved victory delighted Boss Ivan Golac declared "We have no need to fear any team in Britain now. This was a very special day for me and my young team can only get better. After we didn't get the penalty we were due in the first half we were even more determined to win".

The fact that the trophy was won by a goal as bizarre as anything ever seen at the national stadium will not diminish the delight on Tayside. But it will give Rangers boss Walter Smith endless nightmares. The decisive moment came 2 minutes into the second half of an engrossing Final, after Rangers defender Dave McPherson hastily pushed the ball back to Ally Maxwell. All through the game the goalie had showed a lot of courage and skill as long as the ball was coming to his hands. But a ball to his feet is like a land mine.....a foreign object he doesn't know how to approach. This time he battered his attempted clearance against the encroaching Christian Dailly. The big United youngster did the Christian thing and rolled a left foot shot towards the unprotected goal. But the drama wasn't over, the ball went all the way along the line and came back off the post. And with the Rangers defence all over the place, Craig Brewster - surely the signing of the season at £250,000 - stroked the ball home. Make no mistake the Cup has gone to the right destination. United had the best of the first half and even when they were under intense pressure all through the second period, Ivan Golacs men did not wilt.

They had 2 giants in the centre of defence in Brian Welsh and Man of the Match Gordan Petric. Big Belgrade born Petric was a strolling player, an icicle in the centre of fire and fury. He and Welsh tamed every scoring threat Rangers could muster. Rangers missed the midfield inspiration of injured Trevor Steven and had to again reshuffle when Gary Stevens hobbled off. He was caught in a mellee as Maxwell came diving out to save a certain goal as Craig Brewster broke through. That was just one of many hectic events in a game where the action was unrelenting. I can not recall a Final where the first half galloped away at such a pace. Mc Pherson came up for a corner in the ninth minute and his header beat Guido Van de Kamp, but was cleared off the line by Jim McInally. Play switched to the other end where Andy McLaren sweetly sent the fast breaking Alex Cleland through. The youngster should have struck the ball first time as Maxwell advanced, but he delayed and was hit from behind by the back tracking Ian Ferguson. United wanted a penalty, but Ref Dougie Hope waved play on. Welsh had a header knocked away by Stuart McCall and Hateley drilled a low shot wide of the post. But the Rangers strike force were never really a threat.

They Huffed and puffed in the last half hour of the match but they couldn't blow down the United defensive wall. Van de Kamp leaped to touch over a Miko drive and then dropped on a Hateley header. United almost sealed it in the closing moments when Brewster broke away and blasted a drive against Maxwell.

The scenes of joy were unconfined for United.....well as unconfined as they could be under the SFA restrictions. Mind you Nixon is probably due a spell on Devils Island for finishing up with a flag draped round him and sporting an orange wig.

So It's United's Cup at last. And what a first season for Golac. IVAN THE TERRIFIC indeed.

Team: Van de Kamp, Cleland, Malpas, McInally, Petric, Welsh, Bowman, Hannah, McLaren, Brewster, Dailly  Subs used: Nixon