Dundee Utd 1 - 0 Hearts: Deflected winner sickens an already ailing Hearts

Published Date: 08 March 2010
By Alan Pattullo
A PATCHWORK Hearts team, which included a recalled exile in Jose Goncalves, could not quite hold on in trying circumstances at Tannadice Park, falling to a deflected late winner from the home team while lengthening their already extensive injury list in the process.
But the main casualty ended up being the game itself. This was bottom six football masquerading as top six. Hearts, with an entire team unavailable, have some excuse, United less so. The finishing from both sides left a lot to be desired and it said everything that the winner arrived via a heavily deflected shot from Morgaro Gomis, who added to his brace against Falkirk the previous weekend. United will not concern themselves with the way they won the game, however. The three points yielded here sees Peter Houston's side supplant Hibernian in third place, and justifies the faith shown in Craig Levein's successor.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Jim Jefferies, the Hearts manager, was forced to compromise himself when sketching out his team yesterday. Goncalves has not played since the manager returned to the club at the end of January owing to a continued stand-off over his contract situation. Jefferies has been clear on the matter: until he signs an extended contract with the club, he won't play. Owner Vladimir Romanov, however, is also believed to have demanded that the player be condemned to a form of purdah for the crime of keeping his options open.

That was until Hearts were plunged into the kind of injury crisis which had coach Gary Locke checking his registration details. Goncalves was summarily brought back into the fold and handed a starting jersey for the first time since the end of December, although – true to form – he was also carrying an injury. Christian Nade, too, was recalled, though handed a place on the bench. This was despite what has been described as an "ongoing disciplinary procedure" with the club following a dressing-room clash with Ian Black a month ago. The striker's return to first-team action came soon enough, however. He was sent on after half-time after Jamie Mole picked up a knock in the opening half. The players wore T-shirts promoting Sports Aid prior to the match. For Hearts just now, it is a case of player aid.

Even when Jefferies handed his team-sheet into the referee an hour before the match, there was still a need for the selection to be revised between then and kick-off. Skipper Michael Stewart had been struggling with a calf knock all week and broke down again during the warm-up. Paul Mulrooney was promoted from the substitutes' bench, and proceeded to enjoy a fine game in the heart of the midfield. Indeed, his run and shot from 20 yards was the highlight of the first-half. But he, too, fell victim to the Hearts curse, hobbling off with cramp just after his side had fallen behind.

Lee Wallace was handed the captaincy and was an appropriate symbol for this team of walking wounded. He sported a thick white headband as well as an armband when he led his side onto the pitch, in order to protect a wound picked up a week ago. Even some of those familiar faces among the Hearts team were pitched into unfamiliar roles. Wallace lined up at centre-half rather than left back, where David Obua – who has recently been deployed in attack by Jefferies – was berthed. Unbelievably, barely two minutes of the match had elapsed before Calum Elliot slumped to the ground in worrying fashion. He was able to continue after a spell of treatment, but it was clear that if Hearts were to gain anything from this match, they were going to have to do it the hard way.

But no-one could fault those handed a Hearts jersey yesterday for effort. The visitors were the better side in a wretched first-half, although faded – understandably – in the second. United, whose home form is the worst among the top six clubs, were slack and unimpressive again here. Dusan Pernis had to react smartly to tip a Suso Santana drive round the post in the 10th minute, while Jamie Mole and Ryan Stevenson passed up better chances to score. Mulrooney came closest to opening the scoring, though. The late addition to the line-up strode through the midfield with the ball at his feet and struck a well-hit shot from just outside the box that was again tipped wide by Pernis.

United finally began to stir themselves, although suffered for weak finishing. Garry Kenneth was their main threat in the opposition box. The centre-half, boosted by his call-up to the Scotland squad, squandered two chances from Craig Conway corners. Another effort, again from a corner, found Goodwillie, whose shot from the edge of the six-yard box was closer to a clearance. The same player slashed wide United's best chance of the half when put through by a neat dink from Gomis, who turned match-winner in the 78th minute.

United turned the tide slightly in the second-half but were still let down by poor execution, although a Prince Buaben effort looked goal-bound until deflected wide by Obua.

But United were better served by Jason Thomson's intervention when seeking to block a Gomis shot, following Kenneth's lay-off from a Conway free-kick. The Hearts defender could only watch in horror as Gomis' scuffed shot rebounded off him, and left goalkeeper Janos Balogh stranded.

Nade had pounded onto the pitch after the interval looking like a player denied match practice of late. It was further evidence of just how desperate the situation has become at Hearts. Nade was reckoned by many to have played his last match for the Tynecastle club but looked committed enough here.

Goncalves, too, contributed a shift in the centre of defence, but almost made his return more notable with an own goal. His attempted header back to Balogh shot past the keeper and fortunately for the defender trundled past the post. But this would only have flattered United, whose single-goal winning margin was only just deserved in any case. Hearts, in the final analysis, were defeated by circumstances as much as anything.

Taken from the Scotsman