Hearts 0
Dundee Utd 0
League (Premiership)

Match Report

United arrived at Tynecastle with a spring in their step following the 4-1 League Cup win over Partick Thistle. David Goodwillie retained his place up-front after his hat-trick against the Jags, while Keith Watson, John Souttar, Sean Dillon and Ryan Gauld returned to the starting line-up having been rested for the cup tie. Hearts manager Gary Locke made two changes to the side that defeated Queen of the South on penalties in midweek, Jordan McGhee and David Smith replacing Brad McKay and Gary Oliver.

It was the home side who had the first shot at goal, Jason Holt’s long range effort in the seventh minute held comfortably by Radoslaw Cierzniak. Shortly after, United created their first opportunity. Nadir Ciftci ran with some purpose at the Hearts rearguard before finding Gauld in the box. The diminutive midfielder stuck an early shot that had MacDonald worried but could only find the side netting. United were beginning to dominate possession, and Armstrong once again looked to open the scoring after some intricate play by Rankin and Goodwille, but the midfielder’s terrific first-time shot from the edge of the box flew just wide of goal. Seconds later Goodwillie showed his class when effortlessly controlling a high ball before playing in John Rankin, but the midfielder’s low drive was spilled by MacDonald before the Hearts rearguard cleared. Just before the hour mark the 1500 or so Arabs in the Roseburn Stand were on their feet after Ciftci struck an excellent drive past MacDonald and into the net from just inside the penalty area, but referee Steven McLean had already blew for a foul by Goodwillie on Dylan McGowan. Three minutes later Tynecastle erupted as the home support thought their side had taken the lead. Callum Paterson’s long throw-in sailed over Cierzniak’s head before McGowan poked the ball into the net from close range. However, the linesman adjudged the United ‘keeper to have been obstructed, and the goal was disallowed much to the chagrin of those in maroon.

In comparison to an enthralling first half, the second period began in something of a malaise with both sides struggling to keep possession. There were 56 minutes on the clock before either side had a shot on target, Ciftci’s long drive beaten away by the Hearts number one. Two minutes on, Gauld played an incisive pass to Armstrong on the left who fed the ball to Rankin, but his low shot was held with ease by MacDonald. United were now on the ascendancy, and in the 64th minute the Terrors went agonisingly close to taking the lead. Armstrong got on the end of a long ball from Sean Dillon before squaring the ball to Ciftci. The Turk controlled the ball before shooting past the Hearts goalkeeper but his shot struck the post before the ball was cleared. The match entered the final stages with a vociferous atmosphere as both teams pressed hard but found genuine goal-scoring opportunities difficult to come by. The impressive Jamie Walker struck a shot from outside the box in 84th minute but Cierzniak comfortably saved. With four minutes remaining United broke on the counter attack with Armstrong feeding a clever pass to Goodwillie, but the on-loan striker’s early effort flew wide of the near post. The last chance of an end-to-end encounter fell to the home side, another long Paterson throw-in causing momentary panic among the United defence before the ball was cleared, at which referee McLean blew the whistle as the game finished in stalemate.

Match Photos courtesy of Riki Grauer - More photos available at:
Dundee United Official Flickr Page