Dundee Utd 0 Hearts 3

Hearts reclaimed their place at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League with an impressive three-goal win over Dundee United.

Strikes from captain Steven Pressley, Roman Bednar and Rudi Skacel gave George Burley's dynamic new team a well-deserved win.

United were steamrollered in the first half but rallied after the break and had a few chances of their own, but the Jambos' classy performance left the destination of the points in little doubt.

The Tangerines had their support standing first as a lovely interchange of play between Grant Brebner and Stevie Crawford released Barry Robson on the left flank.

He cut inside looking for a shooting angle and tested Craig Gordon's reflexes with a powerful drive which the goalkeeper could only beat away.

Hearts regained possession and immediately bombed forward in search of the opening goal. Skacel found space on the left and piled a low drive in, but Derek Stillie got down quickly enough to force it wide.

The visitors did forge ahead in the fifth minute as Brebner pulled down Saulius Mikoliunas in the right channel, allowing Skacel to whip a free-kick into the six-yard box.

Pressley reacted first and beat everyone to the ball, getting enough on it to divert it beyond Stillie into the far corner.

Skacel, Edgaras Jankauskas and Bednar were rampant, tearing strips off the sluggish United rearguard with their pace and trickery.

The second goal came six minutes later through Czech star Bednar. He drifted to the back post as Hearts recycled the second ball from a corner kick and was the beneficiary of some criminal defending by the home side, who granted him the time and space to slice a left-foot drive past Stillie.

United were forced to rely on Alan Archibald's last-gasp tackle to prevent Skacel adding a third after 26 minutes.

Jim McIntyre had a golden opportunity to halve the deficit on the half-hour, but he headed Mark Wilson's cross inches wide.

United boss Gordon Chisholm was in trouble with referee Charlie Richmond for remonstrating with the fourth official over what he saw as Richmond's leniency towards Pressley.

Burley took off Mikoliunas, who had been involved in a running feud with Robson, for Jamie McAllister at the break.

Crawford knows the arrival of David Fernandez puts his future in doubt and he did well to get in behind the Hearts defender after 50 minutes. He held the play up waiting for McIntyre to support, but he was brushed off the ball by Pressley.

Miller had the ball in the net after 58 minutes, prodding home from eight yards after McIntyre and Mark Kerr combined well to find space on the right, but he was flagged offside. That prompted a flurry of activity on the benches, with United introducing Fernandez for Crawford and Burley replacing Julien Brellier with youngster Lee Wallace.

Richmond had to step in to defuse an off-the-ball tussle which had developed between Bednar and Brebner and eventually booked both for their indiscipline. No sooner was the card put away, it was brought out again.

This time, in quick succession, it was shown to Pressley - whose caution for persistent fouling prompted sarcastic cheers from the home support - and Duff, who almost halved Wallace on the right flank.

Skacel wrapped up the points in the dying seconds, prodding home Bednar's low cross from six yards out to keep Burley's perfect start to his Tynecastle career intact.

Teams

Dundee Utd Stillie, McCracken, Wilson, Archibald, Duff, Kerr, Brebner, Robson, Miller, Crawford (Fernandez 60), McIntyre.

Subs Not Used: Samson, McInnes, Dodds, Kenneth, Robertson, Cameron.

Booked: Miller, Brebner, Duff, McIntyre.

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Fyssas, Mikoliunas (McAllister 45), Brellier (Wallace 61), Hartley, Skacel, Jankauskas (Pospisil 73), Bednar.

Subs Not Used: Banks, Simmons, Cesnauskis, Berra.

Booked: Brellier, Bednar, Pressley.

Goals: Pressley 6, Bednar 12, Skacel 90.

Att: 11,654

Ref: C Richmond (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com