It took a little luck for Dundee United to overcome Austria’s LASK Linz in the second round of the 1984-85 Uefa Cup, a penalty in the last minute to secure a 2-1 victory.

LASK Linz had qualified by finishing third in the Austrian Bundesliga, but it was Dundee United who were the more experienced and prominent in European competition.

The Arabs were a force to be reckoned with in the 80s having won the Scottish Premiere Division with a record number of points and goals in 82/83 and reaching the semi-final of the European Cup, narrowly losing out to Italian side AS Roma. The defeat was somewhat controversial after Roma were fined for attempting to bribe the referee.

The first leg of the second round took place in Austria where Linz had defeated first round opponents Osters IF 2-0 over two legs.

The match was a tough one as both sides struggled to hit the net in the first half. It wasn’t until an hour into the match Dundee United demonstrated their scoring ability. Billy Kirkwood struck from over 20 yards out sending the ball into the top corner with the sort of goal all strikers dream of.

The Austrian’s were quick to retaliate when Max Hagmayr volleyed the ball from inside the box sending it past the keeper like a bullet into the roof of the net.

The game was nearly over, but not for the Tangerines who, with only a minute left to play, were awarded a penalty after Paul Sturrock’s promising run was cut short inside the box.

Midfielder Eamonn Bannon stepped up to the challenge, striking the ball with enough force to beat the Linz keeper despite him diving the right way.

The Arabs had clinched the away win in added time, although the team proved more successful in the following home leg where they defeated the Austrians with relative ease in a 5-1 victory at Tannadice. The third round of the Uefa Cup proved more difficult as the Tangerines narrowly lost out to Manchester United in a 5-4 aggregate defeat.