Hearts 1 Dundee United 2

By Jon West, PA Sport

A stoppage time winner from Dundee United substitute Steven Thompson ended his team's recent barren run and poured more misery on Hearts.

Jim McIntyre had opened the scoring for the visitors after 50 minutes before substitute Stephen Simmons grabbed an equaliser 20 minutes later.

But, after Thompson's winner, the home side are finding the prospect of spending time in the wrong half of the table more and more alarming.

And the Tynecastle faithful are in no mood to accept it either as hundreds of angry fans gathered outside the ground after the final whistle to voice their disapproval of the current regime where chief executive Chris Robinson was the focus of their discontent.

Both sides came into the game on the back of some wretched results and although there was plenty of endeavour from both teams it was not difficult to see why.

Hearts, who had failed to score in their last three games including a CIS Insurance Cup knock-out at Ross County in midweek, tried to impose themselves from the off.

But their midfield lacks Colin Cameron these days and playmaker Steven Boyack had a wretched first 45 minutes, getting booed when everything he tried went wrong.

United had avoided a midweek cup slip up at the hands of Dumbarton but still came into the game on the back of four successive league reverses.

They were keen to counter-attack down the flanks and the first half was in many ways a story of back-post chances that were not converted.

United defender David Partridge headed the first one wide to set the trend and, not long after, Kevin McKenna did likewise at the other end.

McKenna, the Canadian who was discovered by the same coach that produced Owen Hargreaves of Bayern Munich and England, arrived at Tynecastle last season as a defender.

But the resources are so thin at Hearts these days that he is currently employed as novice striker.

His physical prescence almost brought a 14th minute breakthrough when he won a back post header from a corner but the bulk of Charlie Miller was perfectly positioned on the line to clear.

McIntyre had scored a superb opportunist strike against Rangers last week in his side's 6-1 thrashing but twice he was guilty of spurning chances at the back post.

The first was an off-target header but the second was a shame as he had the ball under control and there was not a defender in sight.

He appeared to be caught in two minds however and elected to loft the ball into the six-yard box where Andy Webster gratefully cleared.

United's best chance fell to Jim Hamilton in the 39th minute and it was a mistake by the Hearts back-line which gave it to him.

Robbie Neilson's attempted clearance hit Steven Pressley and suddenly Hamilton had all the goal to aim at.

But, like McIntyre before him, he made the wrong decision and snatched at a first time shot when he had the time to steady himself.

Antti Niemi, who had previously denied Danny Griffin from long range and Derek Lilley's header, was not required on this occasion as the ball spun wide.

Hearts made the first changes of the game, bringing on winger Juanjo inplace of Neilson and sending Simmons on in place of Stevie Fulton.

But United took the lead in the 50th minute and it was McInytre who made amends for his earlier misses.

Miller was the architect, swinging the ball to the back post where McIntyre gained control under pressure before drilling past Niemi from an angle.

Hearts made their final substitution in the 55th minuyte when Andy Kirk limped off to be replaced by Stephane Adam.

Miller saw a diving header saved and McKenna, again at the back post, was convinced his shirt had been pulled as he headed wide.

Lilley wasted a good opportunity when he cut inside from McIntyre's long pass to fool Stephane Mahe but spoiled the effect by firing well over.

Miller twice used an arm to control the ball and was booked for his second, most blatant offence.

It was to cost United as Hearts equalised from the free-kick as Boyack at last found a team-mate with a pin-point delivery.

Simmons, the youngster who had also scored a memorable goal against Rangers, headed home.

United went on to make a trio of substitutions themselves and cynics could be forgiven for assuming it was a mere time-wasting ploy by a team that was now content with a point.

But Thompson was not and, when Jamie McCunnie swung the ball into the box in the first minute of the three that were to be added on, he headed crisply past Niemi to take all three points back to Tannadice.

Teams:

Hearts: Niemi, Flogel, Pressley, Webster, Mahe, Boyack, Severin, Neilson (Juanjo 46), Fulton (Simmons 47), McKenna, Kirk (Adam 55).

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Sloan.

Booked: Simmons.

Goals: Simmons 70.

Dundee Utd: Gallacher, McCunnie, McCracken, Griffin, Aljofree, Easton, Partridge, Miller (O'Brien 75), McIntyre, Lilley (Paterson 79), Hamilton (Thompson 82).

Subs Not Used: Combe, Wright.

Booked: Griffin, Miller.

Goals: McIntyre 50, Thompson 90.

Att: 11,034

Ref: J Rowbotham (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com