Tangerines left with red faces

1 Feb 1993

DUNDEE United, recognised not so long ago as the best counter-attacking team in the premier division, were dealt a dose of their own medicine in a John Robertson-inspired Hearts smash-and-grab raid on Tannadice Park on Saturday afternoon.

The little marksman, eager to convince Scotland manager Andy Roxburgh of his World Cup qualifying potential, masterminded the swoop on Jim McLean's terrain with a quality strike after 62 minutes which served only to deepen the on-going Tayside gloom for United.

The hosts, driven by a determination to exclude themselves from the present off-the-field drama at the club, had succeeded in restricting their visitors to only an occasional escape from defensive duties with a tide of high-powered attacks.

But, with controversial striker Duncan Ferguson watching the Tangerine's second-string match in the capital, the home alternatives up front proved to be insufficient to break down a Hearts' rear-guard brilliantly marshalled by the central defensive partnership of skipper Alan McLaren and Craig Levein.

All of which proved tough on the Tayside men, but enabled Joe Jordan's Hearts to steal a further advantage in the race for vital European places next season.

The points gap between the pair now has been stretched to six.

To their credit, the home side refused to relinquish their territorial grip but, with former Hearts' striker Scott Crabbe having little assistance in his front-line quest, the visiting defence held out for a rare Hearts victory at Tannadice.

Joe Jordan was loud in praise of his defence, and rightly so.

McLaren, watched yet again from the stand by Arsenal manager George Graham, never put a foot wrong in helping stem the home assault.

Meanwhile, his partner, Levein, ruined an impeccable afternoon's work by being red-carded four minutes from the end for a "professional" foul on Paddy Connolly.

For once there was no complaint from anyone as to the punishment.

Mind you, as the infringement occurred only inches away from the Hearts penalty box, and with Connolly looking assured of a late chance to equalise, United may have had firm grounds for arguing that Levein's offence was deserving of a "rugby penalty" award.

Taken from the Herald