Dundee United 0 Hearts 3

Callum is staying up front now

From KENNY MacDONALD at Tannadice
Last Updated: 23rd September 2012

WILLO FLOOD can pick my lottery numbers any time he likes.

Talk about calling it right. There he was in SunSport on Saturday, warning his team-mates not to put too much store in Hearts’ miserable form.

The Tynecastle men kicked off on Tayside without a win in seven games, but gave themselves the perfect pick-me-up and proved Flood’s prediction right on the money.

After an even opening 25 minutes, two quickfire strikes from Callum Paterson and Arvydas Novikovas sent the points on their way to Gorgie.

And as a pedestrian United side proved unable to muster anything by way of resistance, John McGlynn’s side could have won by even more after Paterson added a third.

The Edinburgh side now have two home games — Livingston in the League Cup then Kilmarnock in the SPL — which could go some way to turning their season around.

Defender Danny Grainger admitted: “We said after the St Mirren game last week that the next three games were big ones which could turn things around for us.

“We’re a little short of points considering what we thought we’d achieve but it’s down to us to change that and this result is a step in the right direction.

“You can’t complain about three points and a clean sheet against a team like Dundee United.

“I felt we’d played well in the last two games and were creating chances, but today showed how important the first goal is.

“It was a pretty even start but scoring took the sting out of the game, which was what we wanted.

“We hadn’t been able to do that in the last couple of games.

“I don’t think there was ever any doubt we’d score goals because we’ve got boys in the team who can score — but it was still a relief to see them going in.

“We knew it was all about sticking together as a team and we got the rewards today.”

Paterson, 17, led the way with a crisp left-foot finish for his first and a tap-in after Sean Dillon made a hash of a pass-back to wrap the points up.

Grainger admits the kid who has played right-back andmidfield could now bolster their striking options full-time.

The Englishman said: “Callum stepped up from the youth team and he’s been chopped about a bit, from right-back to midfield and now up front.

“He’s versatile but it’s up to the manager where he plays — it’s horses for courses sometimes and if he’s needed at right midfield or right-back then that’s where he’ll be.

“It’s good for us that he can play in different positions, and we have a few like that — Andy Driver and Arvy Novikovas can both play right or left.

“I don’t know where Callum’s best position is but he’s been scoring regularly in training — and when he’s scoring goals in games his best position is up front!

“He played really well against Liverpool at Anfield and in the Edinburgh derby and coming to a place like Tannadice like this and scoring two goals is fantastic for him.

“He hasn’t shown any kind of fear, he’s learning all the time, and that’s the main thing. As long as keeps his feet on the ground and listens to the boys around him, he can achieve whatever he wants.”

Novikovas — the game’s best player — scored Hearts’ other goal with a John Rankin-style ‘squiggler’ which left home keeper Rado Cierzniak red-faced — and United suddenly look like a team with problems.

This was their biggest home SPL defeat since April 2011 but they didn’t play badly, they were just dreadfully flat.

Without Jon Daly — only fit enough for a cameo sub appearance — they had no attacking threat whatsoever.

That is now four games without a win for them and they haven’t scored since Gary Mackay-Steven got injured at Kilmarnock on August 25.

Without his pace and creativity, Johnny Russell and Michael Gardyne were starved of service.

Only Saturday’s soothsayer Flood — who had a first-half penalty claim waved away — showed any kind of appetite for the game at all.

And boss Peter Houston was totally correct in his assessment that his side had been bullied all over the park.

Tomorrow’s tricky trip to Second Division table-toppers — and conquerors of Rangers — Queen of the South already looks like a potential shock.