Hearts 4
Dundee Utd 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Hearts collected both points with a quite scintillating display, which had the Jam Tarts' supporters ranking it has one of finest performances by the men in maroon for many a long day. Certainly, had it not been for Billy Thomson, we could have suffered even greater ignominy. Yet the first real chance of the game fell to us. lain Ferguson, apparently tightly policed down in the corner, managed to fire in a cross and Kevin Gallacher's superb diving header at the near post brought out a fine save by Smith.

After Colquhoun shot wide from a good position, John Robertson found himself in space, but Billy Thomson performed heroics in turning the Hearts strikers' shot round the post. At the other end, Kevin Gallacher almost capitalised on a mis-directed shot by lain Ferugson, but his cross back into the middle, after he'd drawn the 'keeper was headed to safety by McPherson.

In twenty-two minutes Hearts opened the scoring. Maurice Malpas fouled Colquhoun, the referee awarded a corner, but changed his decision to a penalty after consulting a linesman. John Robertson sent Billy Thomson the wrong way from the spot. Play was confined to midfield for the next quarter of an hour, but then Clark's header from a Jardine corner was flicked past Billy Thomson by John Colquhoun in the 36th minute. A timely intervention by John Holt stopped Sandy Clark making it three, as Hearts finished well on top.

Only five minutes into the second half any hopes we had of salvaging something were shattered. Clark played a pass inside of Maurice Malpas and Ian Jardine, running through, fairly thumped the ball past Billy Thomson. Hearts dominance continued and Colquhoun was next to threaten danger when his snap-shot from 20 yards clipped the top of the bar. With 13 minutes left, Colquhoun laid on a chance for Sandy Clark to slip the ball past the advancing Billy Thomson for the fourth.

Almost immediately, Kevin Gallacher hit a fine drive from the edge of the box, but Smith did well to keep his effort out. Six minutes from the end Billy Thomson produced a quite magnificent save from a curling shot from Gary Mackay. Our one crumb of comfort came in the 87th minute, when Iain Ferguson was handily placed to knock in a corner taken by Maurice Malpas.