Hearts starlet Callum Paterson set for extended run up front, says John McGlynn

TYNECASTLE boss says youngster's goals have win him a role as a striker.
Calum Paterson celebrates scoring against Dundee United Calum Paterson celebrates scoring against Dundee United

JOHN MCGLYNN watched Callum Paterson destroy Dundee United – then insisted he’ll be staying up front for good.

The teenager began the season at right-back before moving into midfield – and then was deployed as a makeshift striker.

And his double yesterday helped end the Jambos’ hoodoo at the home of the Tangerines – with their first win at Tannadice in three years.

Paterson has been a huge hit since being pushed up front as an answer to manager McGlynn’s severe lack of attacking options. And McGlynn admitted the 17-year-old has finally found his perfect position.

McGlynn said: “It’s great for young Callum. I think we can now call him a striker and keep him up there in future.

“He’s played all over the pitch but now I feel he’s shown he’s a forward – and these goals prove it.

“I see his assets in training every day and it’s made my mind up. He’s a real handful and caused Dundee United problems all afternoon.”

Paterson’s double and a first-half piledriver from Ardyvas Novikovas saw Hearts leapfrog United who haven’t won in four games.

They desperately missed the influence of injured winger Gary Mackay-Steven.

After a slow start the hosts finally kicked into gear to create the first real chance in 16 minutes.

Defender Brian McLean started the move with a pass to Stuart
Armstrong who laid the ball back into the path of Johnny Russell.

The Scotland Under-21 striker’s shot wasn’t his best but it was still spilled by Jambos keeper Jamie MacDonald for a corner.

Two minutes later Armstrong burst clear down the right and his whipped cross to the near post was turned behind by Hearts stopper Ryan McGowan.

That seemed to sting the Jambos into action.

Skipper Scott Robinson decided to drive forward from midfield and his pass found Dale Carrick whose shot was blocked just in time by Willo Flood at the expense of the visitors’ first corner.

Soon after Robinson went on a solo run, evading several United challenges. The midfielder fancied his chances from distance and saw his 22-yard curled effort tipped past the post by United’s Polish keeper Radoslaw Cierzniak.

At the other end, the Tangerines had claims for a penalty waved away by ref Alan Muir.

Flood had latched on to a throw-in from Ryan Dow and surged into the box only to go down under a challenge from Ryan Stevenson – but their appeals were in vain.

And in 28 minutes Hearts raced in to the lead.

Danny Grainger’s low cross was only half-cleared by skipper Sean Dillon and Paterson was on hand to lash an unstoppable left-foot shot past Cierzniak from 20-yards.

That gave Hearts the lift they were desperately searching for and, in 31 minutes, they struck again.

Lithuanian Novikovas picked up possession inside the United half.

He ran unchallenged before rifling a left-foot effort into the corner of the net with Cierzniak rooted to the spot.

The hosts tried to hit back on the stroke of half-time – but Gavin Gunning’s towering header from Flood’s corner was acrobatically saved. Keeper MacDonald then denied Armstrong with a diving block seconds later.

United came out desperate to retrieve things after the break and Gunning watched in frustration as his header from Dow’s corner came crashing back off the bar.

But Hearts killed the contest in 61 minutes as the Arabs pressed the self-destruct button.

Sean Dillon was short with a pass-back which Cierzniak couldn’t clear effectively under pressure from Stevenson – and Paterson calmly rolled the ball in the empty net from 12-yards.

Hearts sub John Sutton could have made it 4-0 in 83 minutes but missed a sitter from Andy Driver’s cross.

Arabs boss Peter Houston felt his side only had themselves to blame. He said: “We were soft-centred which was the disappointing.

“We were bullied especially in midfield where Flood was the only one who really put in a challenge.

“We were comprehensively beaten. We should have had a penalty before their first goal which could have been a turning point.

“But after they got their two goals it left us with a mountain to climb.

“We gave away the third goal with a short pass-back and it was game over by then.”

Taken from the Daily Record