Hearts 3
Dundee Utd 0
League (SPL)

Match Report

Life after Dodds may look as though it got off to a dreadful start but manager Paul Sturrock fielded no less than six players who still qualify for the Under-21 's from the start teenagers Stephen McConalogue and Tassos Venetis replacing the departed Dodds and the suspended Hannah. Although the scoreline states otherwise, there was never three goals between the teams and the prospects for the long term future auger very brightly. One crucial minute just after the midway point of the second half turned this game solidly in Hearts favour. At one end McKenzie palmed away a Craig Easton shot, only for Hearts to break upfield from which Darren Jackson chipped home a second to effectively count us down and out. Ironically, that goal came when we appeared to be getting on top. Steven Thompson had hit a post from the move of the match following Tony Smith's crossfield pass after Jan Telesnikov had played him in on the left.
In a first half of few chances, the home side took an early lead through Juanjo's deliberately aimed header inside the near post from Adam's cross from the left. Although we hardly threatened in the blustery conditions until after the interval, we held the initiative for the first 25 minutes of the second half until that Jackson goal. A third goal, also as a result of a breakaway two minutes from the end, came when Adam crashed in a Wales pass only serving to further flatter the home side's wining margin.