VLAD DRIVES THEM MAD

Dundee United 1-1 Hearts

VLADIMIR ROMANOV penned a love letter to his vanity last night and left a string of broken Hearts.

The Jambos owner likes to write poetry but a teamsheet scribbled in haste could end his side's relationship with the SPL title.

Under pressure from the Lithuanian moneyman, Graham Rix was forced to make six changes to the side that won 3-0 in the Scottish Cup against Aberdeen.

Romanov is keen to extend his influences into all areas of the club but he has undermined the credibility of his head coach with demands few in the game would find acceptable.

Hearts couldn't stretch to winning a second league game in a row for the first time since October and Celtic can extend their lead at the top of the table to 10 points with victory at home to Falkirk tonight.

Of course, nothing's given for free in this topsy-turvy SPL campaign but Romanov's insistence on tinkering with his team has caused his side stability and certainty when they need it most.

The Jambos were out of sorts for much of the game against a revitalised United side improving with every game under new boss Craig Brewster.

They trailed 1-0 at the interval to a Grant Brebner header and it needed a hotly-disputed penalty from Paul Hartley eight minutes from the end to grab a point.

Steven Pressley was accused of taking a dive to win the award and Barry Robson was sent off minutes later for a lunge at the Jambos skipper, followed seconds later by Hearts midfielder Julien Brellier, who raised his hands to David McCracken.

Hearts fans have taken to singing Verdi at Romanov this season but now they are yelling arias of frustration as his interference threatens the harmony of the squad.

Some of his changes, such as the return of Rudi Skacel and Hartley to midfield, made perfect sense.

But the decision to drop Andy Webster and Robbie Neilson to the bench when they had been an integral part of one of the most tight-fisted defences in the SPL this season was just downright baffling.

Deividas Cesnauskis was also listed among the subs while record signing Mirsad Beslija, who looked to have won his pre-match fitness battle, was dropped altogether along with Jose Goncalves and Tuho Makela.

Christophe Berra replaced Webster in the centre of defence with Slovak new boy Martin Petras slotting in at right-back while former Sparta Prague playmaker Ludek Straceny made his debut in the middle.

The atmosphere among Jambos fans was muted pre-match though Webster and Neilson were given ovations as they left the field last following a brisk warm-up.

Hearts were sluggish in the opening exchanges. Pressley had to be alert to knock a Charlie Mulgrew header to safety while Stuart Duff and Collin Samuel combined to tee up Brebner but his 20-yarder flew wide.

Hartley almost grabbed the opener when he broke on the left but his shot billowed the side net.

Moments later he clipped a pass over Mulgrew and Straceny's low cross along the six-yard box found Michal Pospisil with the goal gaping but he took a fresh-air swipe.

Samuel tried his luck from range but his shot was held comfortably by Craig Gordon.

If Romanov thought little of his side's performance against Aberdeen, goodness knows what he made of this dour battle which had little in the way of excitement.

However, that changed when United took the lead 10 minutes from the break.

Mulgrew threw over a deep cross from the corner flag and former Hibee Brebner nipped in front of Takis Fyssas at the back post to nod the ball into the net as Gordon tried frantically to palm it away.

Hearts were rattled and Petras was booked for a late tackle on Robson, following Skacel into the book after he had been cautioned for failing to retreat 10 yards at a United free-kick.

Skacel sent over a delightful cross moments before the break and Calum Elliot was ready to pounce but Derek Stillie rushed from his line and made a super catch.

Mark Kerr was booked two minutes after the restart for stupidly knocking away a ball already placed by Skacel for a free-kick.

Straceny became the third Hearts player to be booked, again for a foul on Robson, as the Jambos' frustration began to show.

The malaise even spread to Hartley, who gave away possession cheaply to Robson and it took a late lunge from Pressley to stop him darting into the box although Brebner's free-kick came to nothing.

The travelling army were growling and began to chant the name of Neilson, while Rix was taking stick from fans desperate for him to change the team. They were granted their wish on the hour when Neilson came on for Petras to a huge ovation.

Samuel met a Robson corner from the right at the back post but despite being unmarked he screwed his shot over the top.

Duff became the fifth player booked for hauling down Elliot then Robson went close with a free-kick Gordon did well to clutch.

Elliot sent in a curling shot from the edge of the box that was heading for the net before Alan Archibald deflected it wide for a corner.

Hartley then burst clear but with space opening in front of him at the edge of the box he tried to play in Pospisil, who was struggling with a knock, and the chance was lost.

Pospisil limped off moments later to be replaced by Cesnauskis and United almost extended their lead when Robson threw over a cross with Archibald an inch away from connecting. There was little of Hearts' usual invention in midfield with Straceny struggling to make a real impact wide right on his debut and Skacel subdued on the other wing.

Hearts made their last throw of the dice on 75 minutes when Saulius Mikoliunas came on for Straceny and they grabbed an equaliser their possession, if not their pressure, deserved eight minutes from time.

However, United players were raging when Pressley went down under a challenge from Archibald as they both leaped high to connect with a Hartley free-kick.

Archibald was furious, as was Robson, as they accused Pressley of diving but Hartley was the coolest man on the park as he sent Stillie the wrong way from the spot.

But still the drama was not over as ref Dougie McDonald, who never looked in control, dismissed Robson for a horror, over-the-ball tackle on Pressley three minutes later as he exacted a crude revenge.

A melee developed and Brellier followed Robson off the park for lifting his hands to McCracken.

MAN OF THE MATCH
Charlie Mulgrew (Dundee Utd)

Taken from the Daily Record