Dundee Utd 2
Hearts 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Our last home outing brought us an even more comfortable victory than the scoreline would suggest and at the same time we swept away any lingering hopes Hearts may have had of catching Rangers. Having booked the advantage of a gale-force wind we were encamped in the visitors half for almost the whole of the first period and created enumerable chances.

The first of these came after only five minutes when Duncan Ferguson's cross from the right took a deflection off McPherson and broke to Grant Johnson who appeared to be impeded and as a consequence sent the ball over from only six yards out. Victor Ferreyra sent the ball wide when well placed before our control of the match finally reaped reward in the 22nd minute. The Argentinian striker sent over a cross which was headed on by Duncan Ferguson into the path of skipper Maurice Malpas who neatly netted from 12 yards. Smith then twice saved brilliantly, keeping out a scorching shot from John O'Neil and a Duncan Ferguson header. Apart from a Snodin effort four minutes from the interval it had been all United and we should have had more to show for efforts at the interval.

Even against the elements after the break, Hearts never exerted the same intense pressure to stretch our defence in the same way as we had in the first half. Not until the dying minutes was Alan Main really tested and even then the danger came from a series of wind assisted in swinging corners from Eamonn Bannon. A goal inside the last minute capped an excellent United performance. John O'Neil made it with a superb run down the left before crossing the ball back for Duncan Ferguson to finish stylishly.