14th August 2022 Hearts 4 Dundee Utd 1

 

A Sunday game at Tynecastle after Dundee Utd played in the Europea League ployoffs in midweek.  Unfortunately they were defeated 7-0 by AZ Alkamar and their  European aspirations are now finished. I decided to try and get some exercise so left home at 13.45 and walked along the canal before walking down to Tynecastle at Shandon. I arrived around 14.30 in plenty time for the 15.00 kickoff. I have not been well over the last few weeks and have copied the match report from the Hearts website rather than being my own report.  

Hearts boss Robbie Neilson made a single change from the side that was held at Easter Road last week, with Cammy Devlin coming into the side in place of Peter Haring.

Backed by a boisterous Tynecastle crowd, the boys in maroon sliced United open with just under a minute on the clock. Alan Forrest’s mazy run eventually picked out a lingering Cammy Devlin by the by-line. The Aussie gratefully hoovered up the ball, before whipping it across the face of goal for Lawrence Shankland to smash past Mark Birigihitti – our number nine’s second Premiership goal in as many weeks. The Terrors were reeling from the early start, and some nervous defending nearly allowed Jorge Grant to extend Hearts’ lead just minutes later with an exasperated Charlie Mulgrew eventually clearing the ball from United’s area.  Mulgrew’s slack pass at the other end of the park was ruthlessly pickpocketed by Hearts, with Barrie McKay running near-enough the full length of the park – the wide man went one-on-one but dragged his shot narrowly wide of the far post.  The Terrors were reeling from the early start, and some nervous defending nearly allowed Jorge Grant to extend Hearts’ lead just minutes later with an exasperated Charlie Mulgrew eventually clearing the ball from United’s area. Mulgrew’s slack pass at the other end of the park was ruthlessly pickpocketed by Hearts, with Barrie McKay running near-enough the full length of the park – the wide man went one-on-one but dragged his shot narrowly wide of the far post.A clumsy challenge from Matthew Cudjoe on the left edge of the box presented Hearts with a fine opportunity from close-range; with Jorge Grant’s dipping effort prompting a fingertips save from the United ‘keeper.It was relentless stuff from the Jam Tarts, with the only tangible sense of frustration stemming from the knowledge that it could easily have been a far greater lead for Hearts. Glenn Middleton went close to making the Jambos pay, his quick ball across goal was poked out of play at the last minute by the foot of Craig Halkett. Barrie McKay was at the heart of events as usual; it was his deft footwork and control that sent Cammy Devlin through on Birighitti on the half-hour mark – with the two Aussies clattering into each other, contesting the ball, to no avail. With chances at a premium, the fate of the match would be decided in the next 45. 

Hearts: Gordon, M. Smith, Halkett, Rowles, Cochrane, Grant, Devlin, Forrest, McKay, Boyce, Shankland

Subs:: Kingsley, Haring, Mackay-Steven, Halliday, Ginnelly

 

Dundee Utd: Birighitti, L. Smith, Mulgrew, Graham, Edwards, Middleton, Behich, McGrath, Harkes, Cudjoe, Watt

Subs:: Fletcher, Sibbald.