Hearts 0
Dundee Utd 1
League (SPL)

Match Report

Alex Mathie opened his account for United with the winning goal as United deservedly collected all three points at Tynecastle. Jason de Vos made his first start for the club, while Magnus Skoldmark also bravely played despite still recovering from a depressed fracture of the cheek-bone and both men helped the United defence keep a clean sheet to compliment the win.

United's new centre half de Vos was called into action in the early going as he thwarted a chance for Gary McSwegan after the Hearts striker connected with a Jim Hamilton cutback inside the eighteen yard box; the Canadian's right foot blocking McSwegan's goalbound effort. From an interception moments later, Vincent Guérin was allowed to create space for a shot from 20 yards which Sieb Dijkstra had to get down low to turn away for a corner. Billy Dodds at the other end forced Gilles Rousset to parry a difficult shot away to safety with one hand as United began to offer their threat. Hearts then had strong claims for a penalty denied when Quitongo went down in the box under Kjell Olofsson's challenge. Instead the winger was booked for an alledged dive by referee George Simpson.

It was a different story in the second period as United upped the performance levels. Billy Dodds showed his threat once again as he was denied at close range by Rousett after a good move down the right wing. Moments later, Quitongo was at the heart of the controversy once again as he flew over a sliding Jim Paterson inside the box. But the incident only left us wondering what constitutes a dive as his theatrical effort and the penalty claim was waved off. Collecting the ball inside the area, Alex Mathie did well to hold off Rab McKinnon before he turned and fired across the Hearts, denied only by a brilliant Rousset save. Mathie wasn't to be beaten at the second time of asking though, as he got the final touch to a Billy Dodds shot following a corner, directing the ball over the line via to seal victory for the Terrors.

Match report written by Niall Harkiss