Hearts 3 - 0 Dundee United

Alan Campbell at Tynecastle

THE revolution is back on course. After a derby defeat to Hibs the previous Saturday and astonishing upheaval behind the scenes in midweek, Hearts dismantled a Dundee United side with embarrassing ease. If this proves to be caretaker manager John McGlynn’s last match, he can be proud of his side’s performance.

All the pent-up frustrations of the week left the home players and supporters with an abundance of energy to release and they took it out on Gordon Chisholm’s side. The score could easily have been doubled, and it’s looking ominous for the United manager.

Vladimir Romanov, buoyed by the morning’s news that Leslie Deans and Robert McGrail had agreed to sell their shares to him, took his place in the directors’ box to muted applause. He too dressed down, without the Hearts scarf round his neck.

Significantly for old-style Kremlin watchers, Romanov’s favourite player, Saulius Mikoliunas, was in the Hearts starting line-up for the first time since he fell out of favour with George Burley back in late August. Samuel Camazzola, a Romanov signing, dropped back to the bench.

On paper at least, United have imposing personnel and Chisholm could afford to leave Mark Wilson out of the side. But once again, when the game started, owner Eddie Thompson was forced to watch his expensively assembled side struggle. You feel he won’t put up with much more.

From the moment Hearts arrived on the pitch to an outpouring of emotion from the maroon-decked stands it was clear that the off-field departures were not going to affect the side. Rudi Skacel and Paul Hartley left any dressing room discontent behind them and within four minutes the home team were ahead.

Steven Pressley, with a header from a Skacel free kick, and Michal Pospisil both had chances to score before Mikoliunas threaded the ball to Hartley in the United box. The Scotland midfielder, who only returned to training on Thursday after a leg injury, calmly slotted the ball past Derek Stillie.

United had barely been in the Hearts half, although that didn’t stop the home crowd booing former striker Lee Miller when he got a rare touch. Like many other well-paid United players, his confidence looks to have deserted him.

That was certainly the case when he headed a Barry Robson cross wide of goal, but it was a rare excursion towards Craig Gordon as Hearts continued to dominate. Takis Fyssas had a shot tipped over the bar by Stillie and orchestrated by Hartley, John McGlynn’s side were starting to showboat.

George Burley may have left the Tynecastle club, but there was plenty evidence of training ground work in the Hearts free kicks and corners. Skacel and Robbie Neilson worked a beauty which saw Stillie forced to make a good save from the Czech, but it only delayed the inevitable.

This time, though, the free kick which resulted in the second goal was a freakish affair. Skacel hit more in hope than expectation from 35 yards, and somehow the ball eluded every stretched limb in the penalty box before ending up in the United net. It was Skacel’s tenth league goal of the season, and, sadly for United, ended the game as a contest.

Just why this collection of players are so consistently disappointing is one of the SPL’s mysteries .

Robson looked the only threat with his crosses and shots, but the best of his efforts came in the second half when Chisholm’s side were chasing the game. Gordon made a brilliant save from him five minutes into the second half, and then watched a fierce free kick fly just over his bar, but both efforts merely proved a precursor to Hearts’ third goal.

The build-up summed up the game. Alan Archibald’s attempted clearance was chested down by the full-hearted Hartley and the midfielder raced up the right before releasing a low cross into the United box. Pospisil, whose partnership with young Calum Elliot hadn’t been particularly productive, swept the ball into the net.

A bad afternoon turned worse for the visitors in the 65th minute. Pressley brought Robson down in the box and a penalty was awarded. Robson struck the kick well, but Gordon made a great save and then, when the rebound was headed goalwards by the penalty taker, clutched the ball safely.

After this the visiting support left the ground in their numbers, and they missed little as Hearts substituted all three scorers yet ended the game swarming around Stillie’s goal.

“John [McGlynn] has done a terrific job,” said Hartley afterwards. “Hopefully we will have a new manager in place for the Aberdeen game.”

06 November 2005

Taken from the Sunday Herald