Hearts 2 Dundee Utd 1

From DEREK McGREGOR at Tynecastle

Published: 18 Feb 2011

THERE'S been 125 years of action at Tynecastle.

And surely the last five minutes of this cracker will rate as exciting as anything witnessed in that period.

When the dust had settled Hearts emerged with third place finally nailed - 18 points ahead of fourth-placed Kilmarnock and a yawning 25 in front of Dundee United whose four games in hand still won't change the top three.

Yet, with just seconds left in the fourth minute of injury time, David Goodwillie had a stonewall spot-kick to at least get a point for United after Ruben Palazuelos upended David Robertson.

Palazuelos saw red but Marian Kello saved it for his third penalty stop of the season - and had captain Marius Zaliukas hailing him as the equal of any other keeper in the country.

Zaliukas had produced a fine 88th-minute header to put the Jambos in front after Rudi Skacel had levelled a Barry Douglas first-half opener.

United had largely bossed the first half with precision passing and purposeful attacking, with ex-Queen's Park man Douglas at the heart of everything.

But Hearts under Jim Jefferies are a real force and after Skacel's scrambled equaliser - courtesy of a Dusan Pernis howler - they took a grip of it.

Zaliukas cheekily claimed No1 Kello had nicked his glory.

But at full-time, seconds after the Slovakian had thrown himself to his left to parry Goodwillie's penalty, he was one of the first to get to Kello for a hug.

And the stopper said: "Marian STOLE my glory at the end!

"But I think he is one of the best goalkeepers in the league.

"If he played for Celtic or Rangers then maybe he'd be the best. But he is a very confident keeper and one of the top three in the league, definitely.

"Of course I EXPECTED him to save that penalty at the end and it was great that he did it.

"A good goalkeeper is half of a team - and we have a very good goalkeeper in Marian."

It was a tale of two Slovakians all right. Kello was brilliant when his team needed him to be - Pernis wasn't.

And Jambos boss Jefferies said: "Marian, as he's done before down at that end, saved a penalty.

"It came back to Goodwillie at a difficult height for him and he's tried to get his leg up and hit it into the ground."

Jefferies has every reason to be thrilled with his players this term, certainly in the SPL.

And Zaliukas said: "How good an achievement would it be to finish third? Well, we didn't expect to be doing it so easily. Maybe it'll mean we get longer summer holidays from the gaffer!"

Zaliukas looks comfortable with second-time around Jambo Andy Webster. He said: "Andy is a very good player. We probably need more time to polish ourselves as a partnership. But he settled back into the team."

It's a top achievement for boss Jefferies to make Hearts the third force again, although you have to sympathise with counterpart Peter Houston.

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Garry Kenneth suffered a medial ligament strain moments before half-time to reduce even further United's options at centre-half. Already out are Darren Dods, Scott Severin, Mihael Kovacevic and Jon Daly who can drop back from his striker role.

Dutchman and ex-Ajax fringe player Timothy van der Muelen came on for Kenneth - and toiled.

You could point the finger at him for both goals. But Houston will give the barrel-chested stopper every chance to find his feet at Tannadice after handing him a deal.

He said: "Timothy's got to learn what the Scottish game is all about. In Holland you can bring it down and dust it about and play passes. But here you've got to put your head on it and your foot on it sometimes. That's just the nature of the SPL.

"He probably could've defended the first goal a bit better from Dusan's parry, or mistake - and I can't say that a lot of times about Dusan. He should've held it.

"Timothy should also have attacked the ball as it was going over Scott Robertson's head at the winner, but he didn't.

"But it wasn't his fault we lost the game. And I've no worries about Timothy."

Jefferies said: "The place was rocking. Late goal, penalty save, and the fans feeling they can't wait to get back.

"It was great for the football, but not great for the heart!

"I thought it was a decent game and United started sharper and better than us.

"I think they went into it believing if they won their games in hand and beat us they might have a chance of catching us.

"But they also knew if they lost it would be very difficult for them.

"That's why I thought they were the better team at the start.

"But we responded well and I felt we finished the second half, the last 25 minutes, really well.

"Marius is very good in the air, when he wants to be. He's got a great spring.

"He told me that was his one goal for the season - but I said he should be scoring more from there.

"Andy Webster strolled it again and I thought he was class."

Jeff might even go for SECOND spot, if he senses a chance.

He added: "I set out the season to compete for third place. I feel we're only two or three wins from getting that. And if we get them quickly, then let's see.

"But we're not there yet and we won't be taking anything for granted. If at the end of that we get third place we can see where we are, we can have a go and enjoy it.

"We set out to have a good season and don't think anyone can argue against that.

"Hopefully we can get the third place wrapped up as quickly as possible."