Kingston's goal rescues SPL split hopes for Hearts

Larry Kingston's first-half goal settled this affair and afforded the hosts a modicum of revenge in front of the watching Vladimir Romanov having lost last season's corresponding fixture 4-0. The Hearts marketing department had labelled this game "Show Your Colours Day", and the players duly responded with a gutsy display which would have delighted the Russian paymaster.

Next week's fixture at Kilmarnock now becomes must-win to facilitate a top-six finish, although Hearts will also require a favour from Aberdeen's match against Falkirk on Monday week.

Anthony Basso, Christian Nade, Eggert Jonsson and Jose Goncalves returned for the hosts, who missed first-choice goalkeeper Steve Banks through illness. With both sides deployed in 4-5-1 formations by their respective coaches, Stephen Frail and Craig Levein, a compressed midfield battle was always likely to ensue.

The quest for supremacy took its time evolving, the first genuine chance falling to United's Noel Hunt after 18 minutes. Mark de Vries, the former Hearts forward, misjudged Willo Flood's left sided cross and the ball landed kindly at Hunt's feet, however the Irishman took two attempts merely to send a shot into the side-netting with the home defence reacting slowly.

United knocked the ball intelligently around midfield but a single loose pass by Flood was punished ruthlessly as Hearts moved ahead. Jonsson, the ink barely dry on his new four-and-a-half-year contract, intercepted and slid a perfectly weighted through ball to Larry Kingston. Under pressure from Garry Kenneth, the Ghanaian sprinted forward and expertly slotted beyond Lukasz Zaluska before taking tumultuous applause from the Tynecastle natives.

That opener ought to have settled Hearts, however Frail soon found his authority blazenly questioned in public by his own player - and in front of the watching Romanov at that. Nade took exception to his coach's deserved criticism for being 20 yards behind a through pass and exuding little energy to make ground. The pair engaged in a heated argument, during which Nade gestured to Frail to substitute him in the most public of challenges. "If you're not happy, take me off" was the message, but the change never came. Nonetheless, the home dressing room would have been an interesting place to be during the interval.

Nade upped his work rate sufficiently to sting Zaluska's palms shortly after play resumed, whilst at the opposite end Christophe Berra was required to execute a last-ditch tackle as De Vries wound his leg back for a strike at goal. The game, at that point, was simmering nicely with Hearts' top-six ambitions still alive. Somehow, though, Saulius Mikoliunas managed to keep the final outcome on a knife-edge by blazing over an open goal on 58 minutes. Kingston's right-sided cutback was pushed out by Zaluska's fist and Mikoliunas could only send the ball into the Gorgie Stand when it seemed easier to score.

Levein shuffled United into a 4-4-2 and finally a 3-4-3 formation for what was a tension-filled closing chapter of the match. Berra had countered the imposing De Vries extremely well, thus suffocating the visito
rs' main attacking outlet.

After Robbie Neilson struck woodwork with a deflected cross, Dundee United lost all discipline and had both Kenneth and substitute Danny Swanson dismissed. Kenneth earned a second booking for a woefully late challenge on Nade and Swanson's over-the-ball tackle on Jonsson left referee Eddie Smith with little option but to produce an automatic red card.

Hearts (4-5-1): Basso; Neilson, Zaliukas, Berra, Goncalves; Kingston, Stewart, Jonsson, Palazuelos, Mikoliunas; Nade. Subs: Ridgers, Tall, Elliot, Wallace 78 (for Mikoliunas), Ksanavicius, Ivaskevicius 67 (for Kingston), Glen.

Dundee United (4-5-1): Zaluska; Kovacevic, Wilkie, Kenneth, Kalvenes; Hunt, Flood, Kerr, Gomis, Conway; De Vries. Subs: McLean, Dillon, Grainger, O'Brien 70 (for Hunt), Robertson, Daly 79 (for Kovacevic), Swanson 64 (for Conway).

Attendance: 16,871.

Referee: Eddie Smith.

Taken from the Scotsman