Dundee United 0-1 Hearts

Mar 1 2009 Euan Mclean Reports

IF ROSS WALLACE's controversial dig at the standard of the local women is to be believed, it must be easy to score in Dundee.

But not if you are wearing tangerine or maroon after this turgid battle failed to live up to its game-of-the-day billing.

One moment of magic from Michael Stewart - Hearts' only decent effort on goal - was enough to snatch the points and increase their cushion in the race for third spot to five points.

Preston winger Wallace caused a stir during the week by rating Dundee women a measly one out of 10.

And yesterday's game wouldn't have scored much higher because it wasn't much to look at either.

United will be kicking themselves not to have earned the draw they needed to stay on Jambos' heels in the race for Europe.

Hitman Francisco Sandaza had a dodgy penalty saved by Janos Balogh 10 minutes from time.

However, goal hero Stewart insisted the kick should never have been awarded against team-mate Eggert Jonsson and the Spaniard's miss was justice.

The midfielder also admitted the win came at the expense of silky football.

Stewart said: "It wasn't a game that was pretty on the eye but we knew what was needed to come and get three points.

"Weset our stall out not to lose because this is a hard place to come. The pitch isn't great and with Dundee United using their big players for a lot of knockdowns makes it difficult and the football can be scrappy.

"So we set out not to give anything away and fortunately managed to get our goal and it was a big relief that Janos saved their penalty.

"I wasn't far away from the incident and my initial reaction is that was a horrendous decision. Thankfully Janos saved it and we've managed to hang on for a massive result."

The tone was set for a dour, scrappy battle of two big physical sides when referee Eddie Smith produced two yellows inside five minutes.

Flashing a third-minute booking at Lee Wallace for a blatant body check on Warren Feeney was probably justified for its cynical nature in denying United a promising attack.

But by carding a player for his first foul the whistler inevitably put himself under pressure from the start.

And so it proved a minute later when Paul Caddis sliding in late on Andrew Driver right in front of outraged Hearts fans left Smith no option but to even the score with the card count.

In 12 minutes Jambos keeper Balogh rescued his side with a good double save, first beating away Sandaza's effort in the heart of the box before recovering quickly to block Caddis on the rebound.

Sandaza was denied again when another decent effortwas blocked by Jonsson.

Darren Dods followed up and his powerful low drive was brilliantly cleared off the line by Robbie Neilson.

That was the best and pretty much the last chance of a disappointing first half.

Hearts - who were playing fringe striker Adrian Mrowiec alone up front - barely troubled United keeper Lukasz Zaluska.

And Balogh's only problem before half-time was Feeney sneakily clipping his heels, earning the Irishman a yellow.

He was followed into the book shortly after the re-start by Mihael Kovacevic for a foul on Ruben Palazuelos. If ever a game needed a goal this was it and in 61 minutes it arrived.

Driver battled bravely on the deck to squirt the ball out of a horde of tangerine shirts for Stewart to unleash a piledriver that knocked team-mate Mrowiec off his feet.

Whenthe ball cannoned back to Stewart he made no mistake with his second bite at the cherry, drilling it low and inside Zaluska's left post.

Sandaza was an inch away from levelling with a deadly turn and shot before his big blunder in 80 minutes after ref Smith's cock-up.

It was never a penalty as Jonsson clearly took the ball as he slid in to rob Sandaza.

But it became irrelevant when the striker dusted himself down then sclaffed an ugly spot-kick, comfortably held by Balogh.

Justice done on that score but maybe not overall as United wondered how they could have had all the chances and still lost to Hearts' solitary crack at goal.

REF WATCH

EDDIE SMITH put himself under pressure from the start with two bookings inside five minutes and was inconsistent throughout. Decision to award United a penalty was wrong as Jonsson took the ball and he's lucky it didn't cost Hearts victory. Rating: 4/10.

Taken from the Sunday Mail