Dundee United 2 Hearts 2

Apr 29 2012 By Gordon Waddell

THEY had a chance to put destiny in their own hands. Instead it slipped through their fingers.

But Dundee United boss Peter Houston still hailed his men as miracle workers for even being in the ball park of the Champions League chase.

Twice United led as they tried to turn up the heat on Motherwell in the battle for third place.

Twice their sluggishness cost them.

It was still a point – their 10th out of 12 against Hearts this season – but it felt like a loss.

Or at the very least a lost opportunity.

Instead of being within three points of Well with a better goal difference, the Arabs are left needing snookers – even if they take all nine points in their remaining games against the SPL's top three sides.

Willo Flood's first United goal in four-and-a-half years and Gary Mackay-Steven's second-half strike had them ahead against the run of play.

But both were rubbed out by Rudi Skacel and a final dagger seven minutes from time from sub Arvy Novikovas.

Houston said: "I'm just happy to be in the ball park. People think it's a downer only getting a point.

"But if you'd ask me at the start of the season I'd have bitten your hand off for top six. Now we're there, we would bite your hand for Europe.

"But we've kept four points between ourselves and Hearts who are sixth, with three games to go. If this bunch get a
European place it's a huge achievement because we know what it was like early in the season.

"We struggled and the players have worked miracles to go on the run we've had. I can't praise them enough.

"We didn't play our best but still got a draw and 10 points out of a possible 12 against Hearts. What more can I ask?"

It seems harsh to criticise United – seven wins and a draw in their last nine games at this stage of this season is incredible.

But that's exactly why the Tannadice men's lack of spark seemed so surprising.

Given what was at stake, the atmosphere was weirdly subdued – typical of these lunchtime kick-offs that can take an eternity to get a fire going under them.

The odds were still stacked heavily in United's favour though.

They hadn't lost even a goal to Hearts all season and had won the last five against them on their own patch.

But with Scottish Cup Final places at stake, Paulo Sergio's side were never going to roll over.

With Suso Santana back in on the right flank for his first start of the season after 14 straight sub shows, it was a chance for him to show his Hampden credentials.

But the down side for the Jambos was the fear they could be deprived of the man who got them there, Craig Beattie, after he limped off on the half hour mark. It looked like he was clutching that left heel which has been plaguing him – but his manager claimed his hamstring was the problem. Time and the physio will tell.

Ironically, the game only sparked up in his absence – and what a spark.

Flood's last United strike in December 2007 won him the SPL's goal of the season – and this will be another contender.

A poor defensive header from Ryan McGowan fell straight to him 35 yards out.

That wouldn't ordinarily have the alarm bells ringing but the Irishman took one touch, stepped forward, gave it the laces and the ball seared low past Jamie
MacDonald.

United had just 12 minutes to get to the break ahead. Turned out they couldn't even last two.

McGowan's cross was knocked back across goal as Robbie Neilson and Stephen Elliott climbed for it.

Skacel's header looked limp but it had enough on it to deceive Dusan Pernis and trickle over the line for his seventh in eight games.

You'd have expected the Arabs to come back out revitalised. You'd have been wrong.

They looked lacklustre – and needed two top-drawer stops from Pernis to keep them in the match before the hour was up.

The first was a fingertip over from Danny Grainger's top-corner-bound dead-ball, the second a magnificent change-of-direction reaction to deny Skacel his second of the game.

How often have you seen it happen, though? After 20 minutes of nothing, United won their first corner of the match, giving them a break from the visitors' pressure.

Flood drilled the cross low, it flew through everyone and Mackay-Steven was first to meet it just inside
the box, pouncing on the ball then slicing a shot past MacDonald.

Fair play to Sergio, though, he didn't settle. Hooking right-back McGowan, he threw on David Templeton out wide and went three-at-the-back for the last 20 minutes.

It nearly paid off with 10 left when Santana fed Templeton to finish a rapid counter-attack from a United corner – but his shot cannoned back off the bar.

But the Jambos' sense of adventure DID pay off when another sub Novikovas took the ball from Elliott on the far corner of the United box.

The Lithuanian cut in, smashed the ball in the top corner – then took off for a cele that almost ended in disaster as his team-mates tried to mob him in the middle of his second back flip.

A point apiece was fair in the end but Flood said: "It was a real chance for us to put pressure on Motherwell and it's frustrating that we didn't take it."

Taken from the Daily Record