Hearts 3 - 2 Dundee Utd

ROB ROBERTSON at Tynecastle January 17 2005

DUNDEE United line up against Gretna in the Scottish Cup tonight with the third division side's only hope of victory resting on Ian McCall's team self-destructing, as they did against Hearts.

McCall was hopping mad, claiming the referee cost them the game at Tynecastle. But to say he was deluding himself is an under-statement. It was simply rotten defending which cost United a share of the points, and deflecting attention on to the performance of referee Mike Ritchie simply took the spotlight off his own side's deficiencies.

The defeat keeps United second bottom of the SPL, above Livingston on goal difference, and anything less than a win against Gretna will heap even more pressure on McCall's shoulders.

The Tannadice club have only themselves to blame for the 3-2 reversal against Hearts. They played some terrific stuff, scored the two best goals of the game, but still found themselves coming away with nothing.

Barry Robson gave United the lead with a magnificent free-kick which took a slight deflection over the head of keeper Craig Gordon and into the net. Gordon denied the same player with a magnificent save just before half-time and McCall can only wish for a keeper as good as the Scotland internationalist.

There is talk of Graham Smith, of Rangers, joining United as a back-up keeper, but until he makes the breakthrough Tony Bullock, who cost his side the first goal, has the jersey. Bullock's defenders trusted him to come for a Phil Stamp corner, but he missed it completely and, with his back four thinking there was no danger, Steven Pressley sneaked in to score.

Hearts' new loan signing, Lee Miller from Bristol City, increased their lead three minutes after the re-start with the United defenders again caught ball-watching.

The United equaliser was a magnificent effort with Mark Wilson rolling a free-kick into the path of Alan Archibald and his finish from 30 yards was a contender for goal of the season.

Both sides huffed and puffed after that, but United looked the slicker. While Hearts relied on route one football, McCall had his side playing some classy stuff through the midfield.

His frustration at the free-kick which cost them the game is understandable but over the top in relation to the incident.

Whether Paul Ritchie fouled Stephen Simmons four minutes from time is neither here nor there. United still had time to line up the wall and defend the free-kick properly. They didn't and Paul Hartley's kick took a wicked deflection off Lee Mair, their new signing, and pinged into the net.

Even after that United could have equalised, but a David McCracken header in injury time went just over the bar.

A draw would have been a deserved result for United, whose players and manager spent most of the after-match press conference complaining about the free-kick.

Ritchie claimed he did not touch Simmons but did admit they would have to raise their game against Gretna this evening.

"It will be a difficult match for us," said Ritchie. "It's a game we must win and we are on a hiding to nothing again. We must treat them with respect, but we should win."

Clearly, United are firm favourites and unless they gift Gretna goals should return to Tayside with the lower league club out of the Scottish Cup. Stevie Crawford, their new signing from Plymouth Argyle, missed a few good chances against Hearts but looks sharp enough to make a quick impact. That is something both United and McCall need, as time is not on their side.

From a Hearts point of view, the win keeps them climbing the table, but there is pressure on manager John Robertson to emulate the success of his predecessor, Craig Levein. Interestingly, Anatoly Byshovets, the Hearts director of football, said at the weekend he would only continue in that role if he had a job to do and his current one was only on an "informal basis".

It had long been perceived that Byshovets, who is an ally of Vladimir Romanov, the man who is set to become the biggest shareholder in Hearts, was planted by him to keep an eye on things in the dressing room.

That scenario did not help Robertson, but the fact that Byshovets may yet walk away suggests the Hearts coach will be allowed to be his own man. Certainly, he needs that independence if he wants to mould his own team.

Taken from the Herald