Callum Paterson opens senior account to guide Hearts to victory

By BARRY ANDERSON
Published on Saturday 22 September 2012 17:10

CALLUM PATERSON’S first goals in senior football helped Hearts end a miserable sequence of results at Tannadice as the Edinburgh club recorded a stunning victory over Dundee United.

Scorers: Hearts - Paterson (28, 61), Novikovas (30)

Bookings: Hearts - Robertson, Taouil

Attendance: 6597

The 17-year-old scored twice which, added to Arvydas Novikovas’ raking 25-yarder, saw Hearts win for only the second time in ten attempts at the Tayside venue.

Although United started strongly, two goals inside three minutes in the first half put the visitors in command of this match and well on their way to three vital SPL points. The outstanding Paterson then rolled the third into an open net in the second half. After last week’s capitulation at St Mirren, this was a welcome triumph for the Hearts manager John McGlynn, whose team now move into the top half of the league table.

The game’s first serious chance arrived on 23 minutes when Radoslaw Cierzniak, the Dundee United goalkeeper, pushed away Scott Robinson’s curling attempt. United then appealed in vain for a penalty when Willo Flood fell in a challenge with Ryan Stevenson inside the visitors’ penalty area.

Against the run of play, Hearts moved ahead. When Danny Grainger’s first-time ball into the penalty area was only partially cleared by Dillon, Paterson returned it with interest with his left foot into the back of the net. Novikovas then doubled the advantage two minutes later with a swerving drive from around 25 yards which left Cierzniak rooted to the spot.

With Tannadice now silenced, the game was Hearts’ to lose. Jamie MacDonald was airborne to hold both Gavin Gunning’s header from Flood’s corner and Stuart Armstrong’s shot bound for the top corner. That maintained a clean sheet at the interval.

Gunning headed Ryan Dow’s corner against the crossbar at the start of the second period and United then aimed a series of long balls at the visiting defence. They held firm, safe in the knowledge that another goal on the break would secure victory. It was gifted to them by Dillon on 61 minutes. The Irishman played a carelessly short backpass to Cierzniak, who was immediately pressurised by Ryan McGowan. The loose ball fell to Paterson to roll into the unguarded net.

That destroyed any hope United had of salvaging something from this encounter with Robinson, Novikovas and Dale Carrick all enjoying solid performances. Substitute John Sutton, Paterson’s replacement, missed from six yards when another sub, Andy Driver, crossed from the right in the 82nd minute. Cierzniak also pushed away a powerful Marius Zaliukas volley before full-time.

But Hearts had been clinical enough in attack - not to mention strong in defence - in what transpired as their finest SPL display to date under McGlynn.

Dundee United (4-2-3-1): Cierzniak; Watson, Dillon, Gunning, McLean; Flood, Rankin; Armstrong, Gardyne (Daly 58), Dow (Gauld 58); Russell. Subs: Banks, Ryan, Millar, Vignal, Hilson.

Hearts (4-2-3-1): MacDonald; R McGowan, Barr, Zaliukas, Grainger; Stevenson, Taouil (D McGowan 84); Carrick (Driver 74), Robinson, Novikovas; Paterson (Sutton 80). Subs: Enckelman, G Smith, Tapping, McHattie.

Referee: Alan Muir.

Taken from the Scotsman