Hibs 3 Dundee United 3 (Dundee Utd Win 7-6 On Penalties)

Photo by Jeff Holmes Radoslaw Cierzniak was the hero as Dundee United reached the Scottish League Cup semi-finals on penalties following an enthralling 120 minutes of action at Easter Road. The United goalkeeper saved from Matthew Kennedy and David Gray as United won 7-6 in the shoot-out after a 3-3 draw with hosts Hibernian. United went ahead twice in seven first-half minutes through Chris Erskine and Aidan Connolly, with Dominique Malonga netting in between. Ryan Dow's glancing header put United back in front on the hour mark, just after Jason Cummings had headed an equaliser, but Hibs substitute Kennedy levelled again with a deflected shot with 13 minutes left. Cierzniak was booked for gamesmanship as he held up Hibs' first penalty but Scott Allan sent him the wrong way and the first 12 spot-kicks were flawless. Former Hibs player John Rankin blazed over after a long build-up but Cierzniak then saved from Kennedy and, after Conor Townsend netted, the Pole brilliantly pushed Gray's strike over the bar with one hand. Paul Paton returned to the United starting line-up three days after being arrested in connection with an alleged assault on Celtic goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska. Blair Spittal and Connolly also started while John Souttar returned after a long injury lay-off. Gray shot over from an early chance before United scored with their first attack with 12 minutes gone. Erskine found himself clean through after the home central defence failed to cut out Dow's return pass and the former Partick Thistle player shot low and hard into the corner. Hibs levelled five minutes later when Malonga dispatched a finish beyond the goalkeeper following a disguised pass by Allan. United almost levelled immediately but Mark Oxley got just enough on Dow's ball across the six-yard box to divert it away from Spittal. The visitors did not have long to wait and it was Rankin who cut the home defence open. Oxley halted Dow but the United man got up and passed inside to Connolly. Stevenson tackled the centre-forward but the ball ended up shooting into the net. Nadir Ciftci came on for Gary Mackay-Steven amid the celebrations after the United winger had earlier been injured in a tackle by Allan. Paton, who remains the subject of a club investigation, was booked for pulling back Danny Handling and Hibs created a number of chances to equalise. Cummings spooned a shot just over after Malonga's pass continued a counter-attack and Cierzniak produced several saves, the best of which came in the final minute when he tipped Liam Craig's free-kick past the post. United had a strong penalty shout rejected when Scott Robertson appeared to push Dow over with two hands and Hibs broke down the left seconds later but Cummings shot wide of the near post. There was still time for United to threaten before the interval but Erskine's shot deflected just wide off Stevenson. The chances kept coming after the break. Craig shot over seconds after the restart and Cierzniak blocked Gray's close-range strike. But there was nothing the Pole could do about Cummings' equaliser in the 56th minute. The frontman headed home from 16 yards after running on to a wonderful cross from Stevenson. Once again though United quickly regained the lead and the hosts played a part in their downfall when Paul Hanlon's short headed passback put his team in trouble. The defender cleared off the line from Erskine after Oxley had dealt with the initial danger but Dow glanced a header home from the resulting corner. Paton went off to a standing ovation from the United fans before a Cummings shot shaved the top of the bar and Liam Fontaine headed wide as Hibs fought for an equaliser. United wasted several chances to strike on the break before Kennedy cut in from the left and saw a right-footed shot loop into the far corner off a visiting player. Allan and United substitute Stuart Armstrong had shots saved in an exciting end to the 90 minutes before Craig and Dow came close in extra-time, although the pace of the game had dropped, before the drama was revived in the shootout.