United Triumph Over Hearts Is Fitting Tribute

Jan 3 2008 Chris Roberts At Tannadice

DUNDEE UNITED 4

HEARTS 1

THE show, as they say, must go on. And this was a top-drawer drama, Scottish football at its craziest, entertaining best doing justice to the memory of Phil O'Donnell.

Some said it should not have been played so soon after Dundee United's players suffered the trauma of seeing the Motherwell skipper collapse and die in front of them at Fir Park on Saturday.

But after the SPL refused the pleas of Craig Levein's men to have the game postponed, they dug deep into their reserves of character to end a run of three defeats.

And they did against a backdrop of mayhem. Five goals - including a hat-trick from United captain and Celtic target Barry Robson - and three red cards, all for Hearts, shone light in an otherwise dark week.

It was Stevie Frail's first game since being installed as the Jambos' caretaker manager and his hopes of heading home with a point were high after Christophe Berra had cancelled out Robson's opener.

But a bizarre decision by referee Alan Freeland turned the game on its head after 66 minutes.

First he dismissed Marius Zaliukas, after he took a swing at Lee Wilkie as the defender made his way back to his own half.

Then after consulting assistant Craig Young he awarded United a spot-kick which Robson converted.

After that the floodgates opened. Noel Hunt headed the ball home before midfield ace Robson completed his hat-trick after he had been pulled down by Lee Wallace, who was sent off.

Michael Stewart made it a trio of red cards for Hearts when he foolishly mouthed off at the linesman with only seconds left.

Levein made just two changes from the weekend, with Danny Grainger, his new signing from Gretna, and David Robertson coming in for Prince Bauben and Jordan Robertson, who both dropped to the bench.

Hearts had slumped to 10th in the table after five back-to-back losses but Frail - choosing the team himself for the first time without interference - made only two changes, Saulius Mikoliunas and Andrius Velicka replacing Kestutis Ivaskevicius and Ibrahim Tall.

Both teams wore black armbands and led a moving minute's applause for the tragic O'Donnell before kick-off.

After eight minutes Hearts' Andrew Driver looked to have run the ball out of play for a goal kick but Freeland allowed him to pull back into the path of Calum Elliot only for the youngster to take his eye off the ball and lose possession.

Moments later Driver was screaming for a penalty after he went down under the challenge of Grainger but the referee was right to wave play on.

In 16 minutes Stevie Banks punched out a Robson corner.

The ball fell to Willo Flood and he struck a decent enough right-foot shot from 20 yards but the Hearts keeper made it look easy, going down to his left to make a good save.

Robson was booked moments later for a badly timed challenge on Wallace before Zaliukas was left punching the ground when Freeland rejected his calls for a penalty following a challenge by Wilkie.

But in 22 minutes chaos broke out at the other end and resulted in United's opener.

Robbie Neilson over-hit his back-pass, forcing Banks to catch the ball on the line and giving Freeland no option but to award a free-kick eight yards out.

The keeper and eight of his team-mates lined up on the goal-line as Wilkie played a quick free-kick and Robson blasted home a left-foot shot.

Velicka was booked for a wild tackle on Grainger before Frail made his first change of the day, Deividas Cesnauskis coming on for the injured Driver after 33 minutes. Hearts were on level terms four minutes later.

Zaliukas flicked on Michael Stewart's corner and the ball arrived at the feet of Berra at the back post and he couldn't miss.

The skipper wheeled away in delight and punched the air in the direction of Frail.

United blasted out the blocks at the restart although Morgaro Gomis was too eager and was booked for clattering Neilson.

But if Robson had been more alert on the hour, he would have scored his second right then.

Darren Dods flicked on Flood's corner and the ball fell at the feet of the midfielder, who failed to get proper contact, allowing Cesnauskis the chance to clear off the line.

Levein made his first change a minute later, new boy Danny Swanson taking over from David Robertson.

Then Hunt sent a header from Robson's cross just past a post from seven yards.

But the game plunged into madness in 66 minutes when Zaliukas was shown a straight red for his swing at Wilkie in the box.

After speaking with linesman Young, Freeland awarded United a dubious penalty and Robson kept his head to blast the ball past Banks.

It went from bad to worse for the Jambos with seven minutes left when Stewart was booked from bringing down Robson outside the box.

The midfielder swung in the free-kick and Hunt flicked the ball past Banks from six yards out and pointed to his armband in a tribute to O'Donnell.

There was still time for Robson to complete his hat-trick from the spot and Wallace to be dismissed after bringing the man of the match down in the area.

Freeland flashed Stewart a second yellow and left the field to cries of "cheat" from the furious Hearts fans.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Barry Robson (Dundee Utd)

DUNDEE UTD - Szamotulski 6, Dillon 6, Wilkie 7 ( Kenneth 90, 1), Dods 6, Grainger 7, Flood 7, (Odhiambo 89, 1), Kerr 7, Gomis 7, Robson 9, D Robertson 6 (Swanson 60, 6), Hunt 7. Subs not used: McLean, Conway, Buaben, J Robertson.

HEARTS - Banks 6, Neilson 6, Zaliukas 6, Berra 7, Wallace 6, Mikoliunas 6 (Pospisil 81, 2), Stewart 7, Palazuelos 7, Driver 3 (Cesnauskis 34, 6), Velicka 6, Elliot 7 (Nade 63, 4). Subs not used: Basso, Goncalves, Jonsson, McGowan.

Referee - A Freeland.

Taken from the Daily Record