Dundee Utd 0 Hearts 3

Andy Kirk scored twice as Hearts squeezed into third place in the Premier League at the expense of Dundee United at Tannadice.

The Jambos had opened the scoring in the 26th minute through Dutch forward Mark de Vries.

But Northern Ireland international Kirk grabbed a second four minutes before the break before ending the game as a contest six minutes into the second period.

The Edinburgh side have now moved above Dunfermline, whose game at Motherwell was postponed, on goal difference in the table.

But for the United fans it was another miserable afternoon at Tannadice as the team failed to win another league game on home soil again after eight months of waiting.

However, in the early exchanges, they took the play to Hearts but failed to cause serious discomfort to the visitors' defence.

Indeed, they were unlucky not to fall behind in the fifth minute when Canadian international Kevin McKenna ballooned the ball over the crossbar when a ricochet fell straight at his feet in the box.

It was a wake-up call for the Taysiders but the manner of their response must have pleased manager Paul Hegarty.

After being played in by Charlie Miller, Craig Easton unleashed a powerful 25-yard shot which Roddy McKenzie did brilliantly to tip over to safety.

But United were left shocked when they fell behind in the 26th minute.

The angry United bench were still contesting a free-kick down near the touchline involving Jim Lauchlan and Kirk when Alan Maybury flighted the ball to the back post.

De Vries outjumped Jim Hamilton to bullet a header into the top of the net.

Easton was booked for his part in protesting against the free-kick which led to the goal while United boss Hegarty had to be restrained near the dug-out.

However, they could have had little complaint about the visitors' second goal in the 41st minute.

After some good work by Maybury and Boyack, Jean-Louis Valois played the ball into the path of De Vries.

The Dutchman scuffed his shot but Kirk was on hand at the far post to roll the ball into the net.

At the start of the second period, the impressive Valois danced past two United defenders before seeing his goal attempt cut out by Stuart Duff.

However, in the 51st minute, Hearts made it 3-0 and ended the game as a contest.

Valois' neat pass behind Warren Cummings found Boyack free on the left and, when he crossed into the box, Kirk converted the easy chance from six yards out.

It was proving a dismal and luckless afternoon for United and their supporters and manager Hegarty could not have been enjoying the fare either.

But the result sets Hearts up nicely for two further away games in succession as they step up their bid for a European place.

Teams:

Dundee Utd: Gallacher, McCunnie (O'Donnell 52), Duff, McGowne, Lauchlan, Easton, Miller, Carson, Paterson (Cummings 18), Lilley, Hamilton (Smart 69).

Subs Not Used: Combe, Ogunmade.

Booked: Easton, Duff, McGowne.

Hearts: McKenzie, Maybury, Pressley, McKenna, McCann, Severin (Simmons 87), Valois, MacFarlane (Stamp 67), Boyack (Hamill 75), Kirk, de Vries.

Subs Not Used: Gordon, Weir.

Booked: Maybury, Stamp.

Goals: de Vries 26, Kirk 41, 51.

Att: 6,025

Ref: C Richmond (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com