6th November 2021. Hearts 5 Dundee Utd 2

While Remembrance Sunday is not until next week this is Hearts last home match before 11th November and the club are therefore remembering the players who lost their life’s during the two works wars. The programme cover shows the Hearts War Memorial at Haymarket where the annual Hearts Remembrance service will be held on 14th November. It had been a miserable morning but had cleared up by the time I left home at 14.00 to walk down to Tynecastle arriving around 14.20. Again there was queueing on the Foundation Plaza, both for fans collecting tickets and at the extended barriers for Covid checking. I showed the app on my phone as part of the Covid checking before entering the ground. I had a wander around the concourse before taking to my seat around 14.40 in preparation for the match.

Hearts were still missing top scorer Liam Boyce who returned to training this week but was not yet ready to start again. Michael Smith was also missing due to injury. Into the side came Taylor Moore, Ben Woodburn and Barrie McKay. I had assumed Woodburn would take Boyce's place as central striker but Josh Ginnelly lined up there with Woodburn on the left. United hare having a good season this far despite the loss of top scorer Lawrence Shankland to Bruges. New manager Thomas Courts has built a good side with former Celtic player Charlie Mulgrew organising the defence. Up front Nick Clark, son of former Hearts striker Sandy, is scoring regularly. If Utd. win today they would leapfrog Hearts to third in the league table. 

The game started slowly although Craig Gordon did well to push away a shot from Declan Glass which was deflected on its route to goal. Hearts took the lead in twenty-two minutes. A pass found McKay about thirty yards from goal and with a quick turn he rounded his marker. He then passed to Cammy Devlin who sent a low ball into the penalty area towards Woodburn. From about twelve yards out on  the right hand side of the area the strikers shot squirmed under Siegrist in the Utd. goal to give Hearts the lead. hearts went two up minutes later. Ginnelly broke down the left and sent a low cross into the penalty box where Devlin's shot was blocked and the ball broke back to Ginnelly. This time he cross towards the far side of the penalty box where Alex Cochrane met the ball to volley into the far corner. Gordon then made another excellent save diving across his goal to tip Clark's header from a Mulgrew cross over the bar. The keeper had no chance however in thirty-four minutes when Ryan Edwards thirty-five yard shot took a deflection of Stephen Kingsley to nestle in the corner of the net and bring Utd back into the game. Hearts continued to press forward with Devlin and Beni Baningime dominating midfield and Siegrist made a couple of good saves to prevent further goals for the home side. 

Hearts went three one up five minutes into the second half. Cochrane took a corner on the right and floating it towards the far post where Craig Halkett headed the ball back towards Moore in the centre of the penalty area. Facing away away from goal the defender knocked the ball back towards Woodburn just inside the area on the left. The forward took a touch than floated a shot into the top corner giving Siegrist no chance of making a save. United however pulled a goal back shortly afterwards. A fast break lead to a cross from Kieran Freeman being headed home by Clark from about ten yards out. Hearts then scored again in seventy-six minutes after Woodburn was fouled just outside the penalty area on the left. Cochrane sent the free-kick towards the far post where Kingsley dived to head the ball into the net. John Souttar then prevented another Utd. break with a wonderful tackle on Clark just inside the Hearts half. Armand Gnanduillet, Gary Mackay-Steven (GMS) and Aaron McEneff came on as Hearts looked to close the game off and all three were involved in the final goal after eighty-six minutes. Gnanduillet had a run from his own half after a United corner but his cross towards the penalty area was blocked by the United defence. GMS won the ball back in midfield, something I never thought I was say, and sent the ball through fro McEneff. The midfielder ran into the penalty area and as Seigrist came out to meet him chipped the ball into the net for a five two final score.

After the game I walked home very happy. This was the best footballing display I have seen from Hearts since the George Burley side in2005. Every player played there part in what was a well deserved win. I got home in time to watch Brighton v Newcastle on Sky but the game was no much for what I had seen at Tynecastle. 

Teams

Hearts: Gordon, Kingsley, Souttar, Baningime, Woodburn, Devlin, Moore, Cochrane, McKay , Halkett, Ginnelly. 

Subs: Mackay-Steven, Gnanduillet, McEneff.

Dundee United: Siegrist, Mulgrew, Niskanen, Pawlett, Clark, Edwards, Glass, Freeman, Harkes, McMann, Fuchs. 

Subs: Smith, Biamou