Mix and match team lose to United

Tannadice has never been an easy place for Hearts and this afternoon proved no different as Jim Jefferies' side's winning run came to an end.

A single goal was enough for Dundee United to take all three points in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League encounter, though a make-shift Hearts side worked hard throughout the 90 minutes.

Injuries and suspensions forced Hearts to make changes to their team; Jose Goncalves was back in the first XI and Suso Santana and Jamie Mole also started the match. In fact Hearts could have made a strong starting eleven from the players they didn't have available.

Fifteen minutes before the game kicked off Hearts had to change their starting eleven when it was decided captain Michael Stewart wasn't fit for the match so Paul Mulrooney was given a place in the starting line-up and David Witteveen got a slot on the bench.

Despite the re-arranged starting line-up the Jambos started the game well and Suso forced the home keeper into a save early in the first half. After a corner was cleared out the Utd box, the ball found the Spaniard in space 20 yards out, his shot forced Pernis to dive to his bottom left and push the ball out for a corner.

Dundee United had a penalty claim turned down in the 14th minute, they thought David Obua used his arm to block the ball as he lay on the ground in the box, but referee Mike Tumilty had no hesitation in allowing play to continue.

United came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute but Andy Webster helped his old club out by blocking a shot on goal. Garry Kenneth headed the ball into the box and Danny Swanson connected well sending the ball towards goal; however Webster got in the way and blocked his effort. The ball fell to the edge of the box and a minute later Kenneth sent in a powerful shot which ricocheted off Balogh, it was a good save by the Hearts keeper but he didn't know much about it.

Hearts were not sitting back in this game and Craig Conway was dis-possessed in midfield by Mulrooney, the youngster unleashed a powerful left foot shot, making Pernis dive right to push it out for a corner.

The game was open and either side looked capable of scoring a goal and the home side were next to come close when the ball was played into David Goodwillie in the 18 yard box. The Utd striker was un-marked and had time to put in a powerful shot, luckily for Hearts it went just wide of Balogh's left-hand post.

Paul Mulrooney had a great first-half in the midfield for Hearts, chasing everything and closing down the opposition in their own half. In the 34th minute he did this and won the ball before putting in a brilliant cross in from the left, it was just slightly in front of Elliot, but a touch from any player would have sent it into the back of the net.

The game had provided some entertainment and although both teams were creating chances neither managed to break the deadlock in the first half.

Hearts made a change at half-time with Jamie Mole staying in the dressing room to make way for Christian Nade.

The opening of the second half started with the same enthusiasm as the first but Dundee Utd were the more attacking of the two teams. A free kick to the home side in the 52nd minute was not cleared out the box by the Hearts defence, it fell to Goodwillie but his shot went over the bar.

Dundee Unied continued with their attacking play and should have taken the lead in the 62nd minute when a cross in from the left from Goodwillie was perfectly placed to the head of Prince Buaben but his powerful header went wide of goal.

Hearts didn't create as many opportunities in the second half as they did in the first and Utd were the team who looked more likely to get a goal.

In the 70th minute that almost happened when a ball in from the right found Prince Buaben in space in the box, his shot looked goal bound until David Obua stepped into block it, resulting in a corner for Utd. The game had lost some of the pace it had in the first half but it felt like a goal would come.

Hearts changed their formation with Elliot dropping back to left wing and Suso moving up front with Nade, as they attempted to create some chances in front of goal.

The game had a goal coming and it came for the home side in the 77th minute. Kenneth knocked the ball into Gomez in the box and his shot took a big deflection off Lee Wallace and Jason Thomson to go into the back of Balogh's net.

There was more disappointment from Hearts a few minutes later as Paul Mulrooney had to leave the field with cramp to be replaced by Gordon Smith.

Peter Houston's men almost doubled their lead when they broke with the ball a few minutes before the end of the match, Balogh came out to close the ball down to the left of his goal, however it was played in but fell just behind Sandaza and Lee Wallace cleared away the danger.

The second half saw most of the attacking play coming from the home team. Hearts best chance came in injury time when Calum Elliot played a long ball into Nade which left United keeper Pernis running off his line to clear the danger. The ball was played back into Suso and the Hearts fans were shouting for a penalty as the Spaniard was out-muscled by Pernis.

The ball went straight up the other end and poor communication between Goncalves and Balogh nearly lead to an own goal. Jose thought he was heading it back to his keeper but Balogh had come off his line to collect it, luckily for them both Jose's header went wide of the post.

Dundee United: Pernis, Dixon (Dillon, 60), Webster, Kovacevic, Kenneth, Conway, Casalinuovo (Daly, 66), Buaben, Swanson, Goodwillie (Sandaza, 76) Gomis Subs not Used: Banks, Dods,Myrie-Williams, Robertson

Hearts: Balogh, Thomson, Wallace, Goncalves, Obua, Suso, Mulrooney (Smith, 81), Stevenson, Novikovas (Templeton, 55), Elliot, Mole (Nade, 45) Subs not Used: Ridgers,Glen, Dylan McGowan, Witteveen

Referee: Mike Tumility

Top man: Lee Wallace

Hearts World