Hearts 0 Dundee Utd 1

Dundee United striker Alex Mathie netted a late scrambled winner to secure a superb victory for the visitors.

Mathie, who joined United from Ipswich little more than a week ago, got the final touch in a penalty box scramble to score his first goal for his new club.

It was no more than Hearts deserved after taking control of the match and dominating the second half.

But Hearts will rue a succession of costly misses and a fine performance for United keeper Sieb Dykstra who made series of vital saves.

And they were also denied a clear penalty in the first half when Jose Quitongo was hauled down in the box.

Hearts manager Jim Jefferies made three changes to the side that lost 3-0 to rangers last week by bringing in Quitongo, Rob McKinnon and Vincent Guerin.

And French midfielder Guerin made an instant impression when he threaded a superb pass to Gary McSwegan, who was ruled off-side.

Hearts came close to taking a seventh minute lead when Steve Fulton released Jim Hamilton on the left and his come back was met by McSwegan from close range.

But his goal-bound shot was brilliantly blocked by Jason De Vos to prevent a certain goal.

The Tynecastle men had a 13th minute appeal for a penalty turned down when a low drilled shot from Stefano Salvatori deflected and appeared to strike United captain Maurice Malpas on the arm.

But that was nothing compared with controversy that erupted in the 23rd minute when the home side were denied a clear penalty. Winger Quitongo was blatantly chopped by Kjell Olofsson in the box.

To the fury of the Hearts support, the referee not only waved on but even booked Quitongo for diving.

United keeper Dykstra came to his side's rescue in the 30th minute when he made a fine save from Guerin's 25-yard effort.

Hearts star Paul Ritchie almost broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time when he met a Fulton corner. Unfortunately for the young defender, he headed the ball inches over the bar.

United came out fired up for the start of the second half and Craig Easton was thwarted by Hearts keeper Gilles Rousset when he beat him to the ball after Mathie had sent him clear.

Billy Dodds will be squirming with embarrassment when he recalls how he missed a 55th-minute effort from just five yards after Olofsson nodded Mathie's cross into his path. Somehow Dodds failed to connect and the chance was lost.

United defender Darren Paterson brought off a 68th minute save from Rousset when he headed Olofsson's corner into his arms.

At the other end, Dykstra produced a quite stunning save when he brilliantly leapt to tip over Hearts defender Davie Weir's header.

United's pressure paid off in the 84th minute when Olofsson's corner fell to Dodds in the box. The striker's effort was blocked but Mathie managed to turn the loose ball into the net and that was that.

Teams:

Hearts: Rousset, Weir, Salvatori, Ritchie, Fulton, Hamilton, Quitongo (Juanjo 80), McKinnon, Pressley, Guerin, McSwegan (O'Neill 80).

Subs Not Used: McPherson, Locke, Hogarth.

Dundee Utd: Dykstra, Malpas, Patterson, Olofsson, Zetterlund, Easton, Mathie (Miller 87), Dodds, Skoldmark, De Vos, Paterson.

Subs Not Used: Jonsson, Dolan, Thompson, Gallacher.

Booked: Zetterlund.

Goals: Mathie 84.

Att: 13,124

Ref: G Simpson (Westhill).

Taken from sportinglife.com