Dundee United 2 Hearts 0

Danny Cadamarteri celebrates his first United goal
Cadamarteri opened the scoring after four minutes at Tannadice

Michael Stewart saw red in his first game as Hearts captain as Danny Cadamarteri's two debut goals secured Dundee United a victory at Tannadice.

Cadamarteri got his United stay off to a flier by opening the scoring from the spot after four minutes when Eggert Jonsson upended Danny Swanson.

Stewart was sent off seven minutes after the break for scything Scott Robertson to earn a second yellow card.

Cadamarteri broke clear to score again after 85 minutes to kill off Hearts.

Until Cadamarteri struck for a second time, the 10 men had been a constant threat in an untidy and tousy tussle at Tannadice in the last of the opening Scottish Premier League fixtures.

The forward who started his career at Everton had been partnered by David Goodwillie up front in the absence of the injured Francisco Sandaza, Jon Daly and Damian Casalinuovo.

Hearts had four summer signings in their starting line-up, but it was Cadamarteri - one of a trio of United acquisitions - who made the biggest impact.

Visiting manager Csaba Laszlo had decided to rely on Eggert Jonsson, a more natural midfielder, to fill the right-back spot after Robbie Neilson's departure and United's Danny Swanson made Hearts pay for that after four minutes.

The Iceland international clumsily felled the United midfielder just inside the box and Cadamarteri's penalty just evaded goalkeeper Marian Kello's outstretched hand.

Hearts were lucky not concede a second penalty after 18 minutes when referee Steve Conroy did not even give a foul when Cadamarteri was clearly felled by summer signing Ismael Bouzid's outstretched leg on the edge of the box.
Scott Robertson is clattered from behind by Michael Stewart
Stewart was sent off after tackling Robertson from behind

The referee might have been playing advantage as Goodwillie swept through on goal, but Kello, who had been preferred to Janos Balogh, gathered as the forward overran the ball.

However, with both sides struggling to deliver any flowing football, it was Hearts who became the greater threat.

Ruben Palazuelos fired a drive straight at Nicky Weaver from just outside the box and the goalkeeper then did superbly to push clear David Obua's low effort from slightly closer range.

Obua forced Weaver into another one-handed stop to block a dangerous low cross into the six-yard box as Hearts started the second half on top.

Goodwillie went close from a difficult angle at the other end before Hearts lost Stewart after the midfielder rashly clattered Robertson from behind.

The 10 men were unlucky not to win a penalty when Suso appeared to be felled by Mihael Kovacevic.

United settled and Kello was forced into a fine save to turn a close-range Goodwillie volley over the crossbar from substitute Craig Conway's cross and an Andy Webster header struck the far post from the resulting corner.

Cadamarteri broke clear to settle the game after 85 minutes when he raced from the halfway line to gather a Prince Buaben through ball to steer it past the outrushing Kello.

A Jonsson header forced Weaver into another flying save, but it was United who finished with a victory they just about deserved.

Dundee United manager Craig Levein:
"It was a nervous time for us as I thought we had a good pre-season and I thought that last season and it did not work out that way.

"But the importance of the game and the team that we were playing against kept us focussed.

"That's one point more than we had after five games last year, so from that point of view it's a good start.

"We are trying to get a balance between a hunger and nice tempo and at times I thought we were doing things at a rush, but the important thing is we deserved to win."

Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo:
"The most important thing is to take some positives out of the game.

"The negative was the red card, but he performance was okay.

"We played with 10 guys and we played good football and had some good chances. I thought at this moment to lose 1-0 or 2-0 does not matter as we had to try to score.

"We lost, but we can still beat Zagreb and and Rangers in our next matches."

Taken from the BBC