Hearts 3 Dundee United 0

By Simon Buckland, PA Sport

Hearts returned to winning ways at Tynecastle as they again reserved their best form for Dundee United, who were the last team they beat more than two months ago.

In the battle between the two clubs most likely to be fighting it out for third position in the Scottish Premier League and the UEFA Cup place it brings, Hearts were seldom a dominant force.

But after Juanjo's fourth-minute header had given them an important early advantage, Darren Jackson clinched the win with a magnificent 69th-minute chip to thwart United's comeback hopes.

Stephane Adam's angled drive into the roof of the net two minutes from time was an emphatic confirmation of the three points after he was played in by substitute Gary Wales.

The victory was Hearts' first in the league since they defeated United 2-0 at Tannadice on September 25 and ends a bizarre sequence of losing costly late goals when in winning positions.

Before the match Hearts paraded newcomers Fitzroy Simpson from Portsmouth, currently suspended, and £500,000 recruit from AEK Athens Gordan Petric, who was unable to gain clearance in time to make his debut.

Colin Cameron and Gary Locke were both suspended, offering Spanish winger Juanjo his chance, while Roddy McKenzie kept his place in goal ahead of Gilles Rousset.

Dunde United were without the banned David Hannah which saw Greek midfielder Tassos Venetis given a rare start, while youngster Stephen McConalogue filled in for the departed Billy Dodds.

The £1.3million sale to Rangers of their leading scorer will have a major impact on United's season, although the club were powerless to refuse the bid because of a clause in Dodds' contract.

The game's first attack of note saw the opening goal after Juanjo's neat lay-off released Adam for a driving run on the left flank.

The Frenchman's cross was met firmly by Juanjo with enough power and placement to deceive Alan Combe in the United goal to give Hearts an early advantage.

In difficult conditions, a swirling wind making most passes look overhit, both sides struggled to settle and United were slow to muster a genuine response to falling behind.

After 13 minutes, however, they had a penalty claim rejected by referee Hugh Dallas when McConalogue's goalward header struck Paul Ritchie.

If Combe was slow for the goal he redeemed himself with two fine saves within a minute just before the half-hour mark, denying first Gary Naysmith and then Scott Severin from long range.

Scotland striker Gary McSwegan then made time and space for himself with a deft flick before sending a 25-yard angled drive wide of the mark.

United were forced into a change in the 35th minute when Scott McCulloch, who had started the game well, was forced off through a groin injury, Tom Smith replacing him.

Hearts were the more attacking force by this stage but were being let down by their unwillingness to shoot as their strikers tended to be over-elaborate in front of goal.

United should have levelled within 40 seconds of the restart after half-time when Smith's cross somehow found its way to McConalogue at the far post only for the youngster to slide the ball into the side-netting.

In an increasingly frenetic game, Hearts' Grant Murray became the first player booked after 58 minutes for fouling Steve Thompson and a Craig Easton header tested McKenzie from the resulting free-kick.

An Adam burst set up a Hearts opening on the hour mark, Jackson's tapped pass releasing Stevie Fulton whose snap shot was well held by Combe.

Within a minute the ball was at the other end with an assured Smith run culminating in him picking out the unmarked Thompson, but the Scotland Under-21 forward's shot came back off a post.

Hearts effectively sealed the points on 69 minutes when another Adam run set up Jackson, who produced a chip of stunning quality to wrongfoot Combe and put the home team 2-0 ahead.

Combe was again out of position moments later after clearing the ball for a throw-in and Severin was unfortunate with an audacious effort from 35 yards which drifted wide.

United's spirit was undimmed, Venetis dragging a shot wide after 80 minutes, but Hearts finished the more composed side and must now be confident of overhauling tonight's third-placed rivals by the season's conclusion.

Their supremacy was demonstrated with only two minutes remaining when Adam capped an impressive display with a stylish finish after Wales had spotted him in space on the right.

Teams

Hearts: McKenzie, Murray, Ritchie, Pressley, Naysmith, Severin, Fulton, Juanjo (James 72), Jackson (Graham 89), McSwegan (Wales 64), Adam.

Subs Not Used: Rousset, Kirk.

Booked: Murray, Pressley.

Goals: Juanjo 4, Jackson 69, Adam 88.

Dundee Utd: Combe, Worrell (Davidson 72), Partridge, De Vos, McCulloch (Smith 35), Pascual, Easton, Telesnikov, Venetis, Thompson (Ferraz 72), McConalogue.

Subs Not Used: Onstad, Malpas.

Booked: De Vos.

Att: 10,598

Ref: Hugh Dallas (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com