Hearts 1
Dundee Utd 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

In a way the pattern of play was somewhat similar to events at Hampden, but differed significantly in that we were on top for longer in the first half and Hearts never exerted the same pressure on us as Celtic did. We might well have gone ahead as early as the eighth minute when Ray McKinnon's through ball put Jackson clear on Henry Smith, but couldn't keep the ball in as he tried to tuck it into the empty net. Having dictated those early stages, Hearts took up the running but chances in the first period were and far between.

Although Hearts continued where they left off in the second half again there was little action in either goalmouth. There were two notable exceptions to that rule. First, Wright ran half the length of the park down the right, cut in past the returning defenders, but Billy Thomson saved his low grounder. At the other end a shot by Mixu Paatelainen on the turn was comfortably held by Smith. Eight minutes later, however, came the decisive moment of the match. Tosh McKinlay began the move and then two former United players took up the running. McKinlay passed the ball out to Eamonn Bannon, who then took a return ball from Iain Ferguson before hitting a low shot past Billy Thomson. The United keeper did get a touch to it, but the pace of the shot beat him. We did have one great chance to save a point when a flick on by Mixu Paatelainen landed in the path of Jimmy McInally, but his crashing volley flashed fractionally and agonisingly over.