Hartley gladdens Hearts

The official line from Hearts was that Gordon was suffering from illness, yet he warmed up pre-game in a T-shirt, and parallels can be drawn with his fellow members of the Riccarton Three, Steven Pressley and Paul Hartley, who were dropped in the wake of the statement to the media regarding “significant unrest” in the dressing room.

Intriguingly, Hartley and Robbie Neilson returned amid six changes from the side which lost to Aberdeen the previous week. It was Hartley who was the game’s inspirational performer, outshining even the low-power Tannadice floodlights. On this form, he should never be out of the side. Despite Hartley being vice-captain the armband went to Christophe Berra, himself only returning the starting line-up for the first time since being substituted early on in the 2-2 draw with St Mirren earlier this month.

Valdas Ivanauskas, looking as cheerful as a mourner at a funeral, claimed rightly that his team deserved their victory and he was delighted with their 100% fighting spirit. Craig Levein, who suffered his first home defeat since taking over as Dundee United manager, could also take encouragement from his team’s display against the side he played with for 14 years and managed for four.

“I was really pleased we didn’t fold, and we finished the stronger team,” said Levein. Asked if he had been boosted by the news that Gordon wouldn’t play he grinned: “Yes, but Paul Hartley did. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.”

Steve Banks, in Hearts’ goal through Gordon’s absence, gave a courageous display, although he had to wait only two minutes until being forced to beat out a long-range half-volley by David Robertson. At the other end, Derek Stillie swooped at the feet of Andrius Velicka, and while Hearts claimed for a penalty, Dundee United wanted the Lithuanian striker yellow-carded for diving. Charlie Richmond, the referee, wisely did neither.

There was plenty effort but it took until just on the half-hour before either side again created real danger, and both of them achieved it inside 60 seconds. First, from a Hartley cross, Marius Zaliukas timed his shot perfectly, only for Stillie block superbly. Then Craig Conway scorned a perfect chance created by Collin Samuel’s cross from the left, only but the 21-year-old somehow blasted over a yard from an unguarded goal. No wonder he lashed out in anger at the advertising hoardings.

Hearts, in their search for an away win, found Stillie as miserable as Scrooge. Velicka, only a minute after the restart, was through one-on-one with the goalkeeper but he again allowed United’s last line to block the opportunity.

However, on 54 minutes Stillie finally had to concede defeat, when United gifted a penalty kick awarded immediately by the referee after the ball hit Stuart Duff on the hand. The Tannadice players disputed the decision but Hartley took full advantage to lash the ball past Stillie and then meaningfully race to embrace Gordon on the touchline.

The Tynecastle side bossed much of the game in the second half and from a wonderful killer pass by Hartley it should have been all over, but Michal Posipisil placed his shot wide. That could have proved so expensive as Barry Robson, the United captain, cracked in a free kick which rebounded off the bar thanks to a touch from Banks. The deputy goalkeeper was injured in the process but, after receiving treatment while Gordon prepared for a possible introduction, he produced a second brilliant stop from yet another Robson free kick.

United threw everything but the Tannadice Christmas tree at their opponents in the final spell and only a desperate goal-line clearance by Berra stopped them scoring an equaliser from a Conway free kick, then Neilson misdirected a header which spun past the wrong side of the post for Levein’s men.

Star Man: Paul Hartley (Hearts)

Player Ratings: Dundee Utd: Stillie 8, Duff 5, Mair 6, Kenneth 6, Robb 5 (McCracken 33min, 5), Robson 6, Kerr 5, Robertson 6, Conway 6, Samuel 5 (Smith 67min, 4), Goodwillie 5

Hearts: Banks 8, Neilson 7, Berra 6, Zaliukas 6, Fyssas 6, Mikoliunas 6 (Barasa 50min, 4), Aguiar 6 (Brellier 85min, 5), Hartley 9, Driver 6, Velicka 5 (Jankauskas 71min, 4), Pospisil 5

Booked: Mair 26, Robertson 39, Pospisil 44, Barasa 75, Aguiar 79, Zaliukas 86

Referee: C Richmond

Attendance: 7,789

Taken from timesonline.co.uk