28th August 2021. Dundee United 0. Hearts 2

 

I had a dilemma today as I was not sure which game to watch. Spartans were at home to Caledonian Braves and I could have got in for nothing with my season ticket. However my first football love has always been Hearts and I decided to head to Dundee for their SPL match against Dundee United. This would be my first SPL away game since March 2020 and I was looking for a better result than against St Mirren then. Normally Hearts sell tickets for away games with those with the highest loyalty points having first choice. On this occasion tickets had to be bought direct from United so any Hearts fan could purchase. I was happy getting a  ticket in the Jim McLean Stand Upper which runs along the side of the pitch. I checked the train times and decided to catch the 12.04 to Dundee which got there just before 13.30. The next train arrived at 14.30 but given the walk to the ground I may have missed kick-off. The train journey was uneventful and arrived on time. I knew the route to Tannadice and started walking. After about ten minutes and young Hearts fan asked me if this was the way to Tannadice. I told him to turn right and then up the hill.he then asked how far it’s it was and I responded about half an hour walking depending how fast you walk. I arrived at Tannadice just on 14.00 and purchased a pogramme for £3. I would have to say the programme was good value with a lot of reading and information. Despite being told turnstiles would be open at 14.00 the was not the case and I had to wait outside. I spent the time speaking to a number of people including Hearts historian David who I had met through work. I also received a call from Craig, one of my sons. who was also at the game. He had traveled by bus with his two children and their friends. He was in the stand behind the goals so we could not meet up. I entered the ground around 14.15 and thought about getting pie but the queue was already enormous. I headed towards my seat in the second back row of the stand with a great row of the pitch.

Hearts had made two loan signings since last weekend, Ben Woodburn from Liverpool and Taylor Moore from Bristol City. Both were included in todays squad. Woodburn should be a rest capture. A Welsh international he is Liverpools youngest ever goal scorer but has to stand behind Sahah, Mane and Firminio in the queue for a first team berth. I saw him play in a friendly against Napoli and he impressed. Moore is a centre back and has played in various England underage sides. Again he should be a good signing and provide cover in the Hearts defence. Woodburn replaced Josh Ginnelly in the Hearts starting line-up while Moore was on the bench. United have recently sold top striker Lawrence Shankland to Beershot (Belgium) for a substantial sum. He has been replaced by former Hibs striker Marc McNulty on loan from reading. Being former Hibs player he received an appropriate welcome. Hearts manager Robbie Neilson led United to the Scottish Championship title in the truncated 2019/20 season before leaving to return to Harts. Robbie received a similar welcome to McNulty from the United fans.

Te game itself was a strange one. When I looked at the BBC Sports statistics Hearts had 61% possession and eleven shots. However only three of these attempts were on target. In the first half in particular Hearts some some nice football with John Souttar breaking forward and sending some accurate passes to colleagues. Woodburn looked good operating on the right and showed some nice touches especially considering he had only met his teammates on Thursday. Michael Smith had Hearts best early chance when a Liam Boyce flick found him clear in the right hand side of the penalty box. He mishit his shot past the near post. Despite all Hearts pressure United gcam close to scoring when Craig Gordon pushed away a shot from Jamie Robson. Shortly afterwards Peter Haring had an great chance when he ran onto a long ball from Souttar eight yards from the centre of the goal. Haring got his header all wrong and the ball flew past the post.Hearts finally took the lead almost on the halftime whistle. Gary Mackay-Steven (GMS) broke into the penalty area and was pulled back and tapped on the ankles by Ryan Edward’s. The touch may have been slight but GMS went to ground and the referee awarded a penalty. Any United fans screaming about a dive should remember GMS playing for their side where he was almost a Tom daly in the diving stakes! Boyce took a poor penalty which was pushed out by the diving Trevor Carson in the United goal. Boyce reacted quicker than the United defenders to net the rebound. 

The second half continued as the first and Haring missed another heading chance from a cross by Boyce. Things changed however on the hour mark when Woodburn went of injured. It did not look serious but Andy Halliday was also carrying a knock. Hearts brought on Josh Ginnelly and switched from their favoured 3-4-3 to 4-4-2. Despite Ginelly's pace causing United problems down the right Hearts seemed to fall appart defensively. Gordon made another excellent save to push an Edwards header from a corner over the bar before pushing Calum Butcher shot around the post. The best however was yet to come. Beni Baningime who was having excellent game in central midfield committed a foul a few yards outside the Hearts penalty area on the right. From where I was sitting, high up at the other end on of pitch, there was a clear gap beyond the wall for a direct shot at goal. Charlie Mulgrew took the kick for United and it was heading for the top corner until Gordon dived across to push the ball away for a corner. Hearts then made another couple of changes with Turner coming on for Halliday and Armand Gnanduillet replacing GMS. The changes allowed Hearts to revert to their favoured 3-4-3 and they clinched the match as injury time loomed. Ginnelly broke into the box again and squared the ball to Gnanduillet as Carson came out of his goal. The striker had no difficulty in scoring into an empty net. 

When the second goal went in i moved down towards the exit. On the final whistle I was two rows from the exit and managed to make a quick getaway. I headed downhill walking quickly to catch the 17.22 train back to Edinburgh as it only stops once. There was a later train around 17.35 but it stops in almost every station in Fife. I walked smartly and arrived at the station around 17.20 to catch the early train. There were  few other Hearts fans who had also managed to get this train. However the journey back to Edinburgh was spoiled slightly by a loudmouthed Liverpudlian. He was chatting a woman sitting opposite him and telling everyone the story of his daughter 'coming out' at age sixteen. It may have been interesting to a child physiologist but not to the whole carriage ! Train arrived at Haymarket at 1830 and I was home within minutes. 

I enjoyed being at an away game again and the victory helped. However I still think Hearts need to look at the midfield quartet. They are all excellent players but lack the 'spark' to open up defences at will. I would still like to see a more attacking option in midfield. despite Hearts playing all the football I would still rate keeper Gordon as the Jambo's MoM. 

Teams

Dundee United: Carson, Smith, Robson, Mulgrew, Edwards, Levitt, Sprole, Fuchs, McNulty, Clark, Mochrie

Subs: butcher, Harkes, Watson.

Hearts: Gordon, Smith, Cochrane, Souttar, Haring, Halkett, Woodburn, Baningime, Boyce, Halliday, Mackay-Steven

Subs: Ginnellly, Gnanduillet, Moore.