Hearts 0-0 Dundee United: Jambos give it their best shot

Published Date: 06 May 2010
By COLLEEN STRACHAN
JIM JEFFERIES insisted that his side could not have done any more as they resigned themselves to the fact that they will miss out on the chance of Europe this season on goal difference.
Hearts threw everything but the kitchen sink at Dundee United in the closing stages but could not find the breakthrough that would have handed them the lifeline that they needed to keep their hopes of claiming fifth spot in the table alive.

The Tynecastle side are not out of the equation mathematically as they go into the final game of the season three points behind Hibs but would need a miracle 11-goal swing to catapult them above their rivals on goal difference on Sunday.

Jefferies started the game with a 4-4-2 formation but threw Gary Glen on for the final 12 minutes to give his side a three-pronged attack – and even put Ismael Bouzid in the mix as time ticked away.

Despite carving out a number of chances, they couldn't find anyone who could come up with the final ball but Jefferies couldn't fault his side for effort and said: "I don't think that we could have done any more. We were playing against the team who are third in the league table this year and they don't lose too many goals.

"They are big and strong at the back so it's difficult to attack them in the air and we just didn't have that wee bit craft at the right time.

"I thought that we got a great opportunity at the end but we seemed to pass the buck. It sat up nicely for Gary Glen and I was just shouting, 'hit it, hit it', but he said that he thought that Temps was in a better position.

"Gary should have put his foot through it but he didn't and the chance was lost.

"Effort-wise, though, I couldn't have asked for any more and we went a bit gung-ho towards the end and in the final 20 minutes we had a three-pronged attack really with Smith, Elliot and Glen.

"In the last wee while we pulled Smith in a little bit and threw Bouzid up front."

Jefferies believes that the killer blow to Hearts' hopes of playing in the Europa League next season was dealt by Motherwell in their last meeting at Tynecastle, a match that ended 2-0 in favour of the Steelmen and he continued: It's not to be, but not through lack of effort, and I think that the damage was done when we played Motherwell here the last time.

"If we had applied ourselves in that game the way that we did last night and against Hibs at Easter Road last weekend then we might have had a different result.

"We can't go back on that now though. We gave it a go last night but now we know what we have to do in the summer. It lets me look at one or two things for Sunday as well now and we want to finish on a high and playing well."

David Obua and Larry Kingston were both suspended but Lee Wallace passed a late fitness test to take his place in the starting line-up and the Scotland defender skipped past Scott Robertson after a neat interchange with David Templeton in the opening minutes to peg United back.

The left-back charged towards the byline and sent a ball into the six-yard box for Calum Elliot and his cross was just begging to be turned into Steve Banks' net but it eluded both Suso and Ruben Palazuelos at the far side.

United threatened from a Craig Conway corner a few minutes later, Garry Kenneth rising to head it goalwards, only for Jamie MacDonald to get enough on the ball to push it away for another corner that came to nothing.

Hearts were by now looking the more inventive side, without being able to find the end product.

They pushed forward again when Templeton set Elliot free down the left and the striker picked out Suso in the centre. The Spaniard had other options available but instead opted to go for goal himself and his effort went harmlessly past Banks' left-hand post.

Conway and Jon Daly were linking up well for the visitors and a free-kick from the former caused problems in the Hearts defence, the striker rising to meet the ball with his head but his effort being deflected behind for yet another corner kick.

Conway looked set to net the opener 36 minutes when David Goodwillie managed to get a cross in to his team-mate, who had raced into the middle. He managed to beat the Hearts defence for pace to get a shot in, but MacDonald parried and the United player was denied from the rebound by Eggert Jonsson.

Andy Webster had the ball in the back of the net just a minute later, from another Conway free-kick, this time floated in at the perfect height from the left, but the far-side linesman had his flag raised for offside against the defender. A brilliant ball from Templeton allowed Elliot to race forward just before the break but his cross into the box was cut out by Kenneth before it could cause any damage.

After the break, Jonsson sent a ball low into the area and Elliot was unfortunate not to see his stooping header hit the back of the net, Kenneth again getting himself in the way.

Hearts thought they had a shout for a penalty a few minutes later when Elliot went down under a challenge from Kenneth after another ball in from Jonsson, only for referee Stephen Finnie to wave them away.

Suso got the better of Kenneth with an hour gone and put the ball out to his left for Templeton who hit a cracking volley that swerved goalwards but ended up just a yard wide of Banks' right-hand stick, while at the other end MacDonald held a free-kick from Conway.

Dundee United manager Peter Houston admitted that he had one eye on the Scottish Cup final when he took Andy Webster off at the half-time break as a precaution because of problems the defender has had with his back and calf in recent weeks.

He said: "Andy's had a problem with a nerve in his back that goes right down his backside and into his calves. He felt that they were aggravating him a wee bit at half-time.

"He was going to go back out but I decided against it. We can't go any higher or lower in the league table now, so why risk it when our major game is on the 15th of May? We will wrap him up in cotton wool for the next couple of weeks now."

Taken from the Scotsman