SWITCH PICKINGS

THE tinkerman of Tynecastle rotated his squad again - and Hearts spun their magic to leave Dundee United reeling from another defeat.

Valdas Ivanauskas appears to be chasing the record of Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who has changed his team 94 times in succession in the Premiership.

The Jambos boss rang the changes again to freshen his team after their low-key Euro exit and they dished out an emphatic defeat which suggests the bells may soon be tolling for the future of United in the SPL.

Hearts made six switches from the side that drew 0-0 at Sparta Prague three days earlier and have now started 25 different players in their first nine league games.

But Jambos fans will be inviting him to continue spinning their team's selection process if they come up with more results like this, as the Scottish Cup holders consolidated second place in the SPL with their biggest league win of the season.

Mind you, for half-an-hour at Tynecastle it looked as if the policy of chopping and changing was in danger of costing the Jambos their third league defeat of the season as United dominated.

But it all clicked into place when Lithuanian striker Andrius Velicka scored his first goal for the club in only his second SPL start.

Then they all but killed the game as a contest seven minutes before half-time when Finnish strike partner Juho Makela added a second in his first SPL start of the new campaign.

Hearts then wrapped it up late on as Paul Hartley scored from the penalty spot and sub Jamie Mole rattled the fourth past Derek Stillie.

United had worked valiantly in the second half to haul themselves back into the match before those late goals, but they rarely troubled Craig Gordon who produced another string of top-class saves to keep his side in it early on.

Hearts fans would have struggled to guess their line-up yesterday as players such as Jamie Mole, Lee Wallace and Robbie Neilson were all dropped to the bench while Velicka and Makela formed a striking partnership untried at this level.

However, after they settled, it was Bosnian winger Mirsad Beslija, also handed his first SPL start, who stole the show with an assist at the crucial second and a hungry, creative performance which suggests he deserves more than a misfit tag.

This was the Jamb os' first appearance at Tynecastle in nearly a month and the roof was almost lifted off the old stadium as Steven Pressley led his team in their pre-match huddle.

United have had an indifferent start to the SPL, but they still went into the game unbeaten in four away games, winning at St Mirren and drawing at Rangers, Kilmarnock and Inverness.

Hearts certainly started the game like strangers and it was the Tannadice side who looked most aggressive in the opening stages, much to the vocal dismay of the home fans in another capacity crowd.

Indeed, United should have taken the lead as early as the eighth minute when Noel Hunt found himself with space in the box after the flat-footed Jambos rearguard were slow to react to a forward header from David Proctor.

The Irish striker swivelled six yards out, but the huge frame of Gordon advanced and the Scotland keeper managed to beat out Hunt's volley with his left shoulder before Takis Fyassas cleared the danger.

Hearts were onlookers early on and their frustration was summed up in 19 minutes when Hartley released Velicka with a slightly heavy pass down the right but the Lithuanian striker didn't try a leg, much to the disgust of his team-mate -and the home fans.

Ivanauskas has rarely been so animated in the home dugout - his face was contorted like a twisted plimsoll as he furiously reacted to every misplaced pass and poor judgment call from his players and officials alike.

In fact, you feared he would keel over midway through the first half when a Craig Conway cross from the right picked out Stuart Duff and the Tannadice man sent a flying header from 12 yards crashing against the bar.

Four minutes later, United had the ball in the net when a Christian Kalvenes cross from the left again picked out the unmarked Duff and Gordon saved brilliantly from point-blank range.

The loose ball dropped to Hunt to knock home from a yard out but linesman Tom Murphy had his flag in the air after deciding the striker had taken an active role from the initial cross, much to the disgust of the United bench.

The arrival of a goal looked odds-on and it duly arrived but, amazingly, it came completely against the run of play. Boo-boy target Mikoliunas silenced the jeers when he picked out countrym an Velicka racing down the inside left channel and he turned and fired a left-foot effort high past the helpless Stillie with the help of a deflection off Alan Archibald.

Suddenly, the game was turned on its head and Hearts almost doubled their advantage when a stunning sweeping move down the right ended with Belsija flighting a shot towards the top corner of the net that Stillie managed to claw clear before Mikoliunas blazed the follow-up over the top.

However, there was no escape for United seven minutes before the break when Makela added a second.

A cross from Beslija from the right begged for a home player on its receiving end and the Finnish striker ran in, criminally unchallenged, to volley past Stillie from six yards.

Hearts almost had the opportunity to make it three when Kalvenes handled in the box, but ref Eddie Smith didn't want to know, a repeat of his earlier decision to deny United's Barry Robson when he looked to have been felled in the Jambos' area.

United desperately needed a goal to haul themselves back into the game, but there was a steely resolve among the home defence to protect Gordon better than they had managed earlier.

Conway and Barry Robson both went close from distance, but Gordon did not have to make a save although he breathed a sigh of relief on the hour when sub Collin Samuel set up Hunt, but his effort ruffled the side net.

Robson also shaved a post with another shot from outside the box, while Hunt was inches away from connecting with another Samuel cross, this time from the left.

Mind you, Hearts were hardly sitting back in admiration and Deividas Cesnauskas cracked a 20-yard effort off the bar before they underlined their dominance with two late goals.

First, Archibald bundled Beslija over in the b ox and Hartley sent Stillie the wrong way from the spot.

As if that wasn't b ad enough for United, they were caught on the hop a minute later when Roman Bednar broke down the right and squared for fellow sub stitute Mole to knock ball home from six yards.

MAN OF THE MATCH Mirsad Beslija (Hearts)

MAN BY MAN

HEARTS

Craig Gordon: Made some early super stops to deny United but spectator after break. 7

Ibrahim Tall: Performance at full-back was solid, creative and aggressive. 6

Steven Pressley: Held it together for Hearts early on during a shaky spell for his team. 7

Christophe Berra: Growing in stature beside defensive mentor Pressley. 6

Takis Fyssas: Legs may be going but Greek is still sound full-back performer.6

Bruno Aguiar: Unfussy performance but did vital tidying up work in middle of park.6

Saulius Mikoliunas: Set up opener but still needs to make a bigger contribution.6

Mirsad Beslija: Full of energy and creativity on right and had hand in two goals.8

Paul Hartley: Team-mates were not always on same page but still influential.6

Juho Makela: Linked well with midfield and showed neat touches for big man. 6

Andrius Velicka: Super opening strike, but still looks short of fitness at this level. 6

Subs: Deividas Cesnauskis - rattled bar with one effort in lively contribution, 4. Roman Bednar - late replacement set up Mole for fourth goal, 3. Jamie Mole - put UEFA Cup miss against Sparta Prague behind him to grab second SPL goal of the season, 4.

DUNDEE UNITED

Derek Stillie: Not always offered the sort of protection a keeper might expect from his defence at this level.6

David Proctor: Started well on right but won't have been happy at being part of defence that was breached four times. 5

David McCracken: Strong performance early on but left gaping holes at crucial second goal from Valdas Ivanauskas' side. 5

Alan Archibald: Gave away penalty and didn't always look comfortable at back. 5

Christian Kalvenes: Threw over some decent crosses but second goal came from his area of park.5

Craig Conway: Lively display to start with but faded as game went on and was replaced.5

Mark Kerr: Stood up well to Hartley in middle of the park but lacked support around him. 6

Greg Cameron: Worked hard in first half but became anonymous after break. 5

Barry Robson: Always a set-piece danger and unlucky not to score with distance strikes. 6

Stuart Duff: Lively linkman between midfield and Hunt but should have netted. 6

Noel Hunt: Needed referee to give him greater protection but still put himself about well. 6

Sub: Collin Samuel - showed lively burst of pace down wings after coming on for Conway with just over half an hour to go, 5.

MOMENT THAT CHANGED THE GAME: Hearts' opener against the run of play gave them a boost and dented United's confidence.

Taken from the Daily Record