AFTER a week during which Hearts blamed the late payment of their staff on nothing more than a behind-the-scenes error, the Edinburgh side were comprehensively outfought and outplayed at Tannadice.
As manager Csaba Laszlo freely admitted after this horror show, uppermost in many minds will be whether the payroll problem had an effect on his players. "This is the question everybody will be asking but we are sportsmen and don't think about this,"
he said.
"In the first half we played good football for 20 minutes and then I have to appreciate a fantastic free kick. Their second goal killed our spirit and discipline before we lost an unlucky third. But we must learn from this and move on."
Having made an impressive start to the SPL season, thanks largely to a perfect record at Tynecastle, Hearts suffered their third league loss on the road and rarely looked like taking anything from this encounter.
The delayed payment of wages, which finally arrived in staff accounts on Friday, provides a degree of context. However, to only concentrate on this issue would be to pay a massive disservice to Dundee United, whose turnaround has been as immediate as it has been effective, with three victories now recorded within eight days.
It was apt that the poor soul delivered for media attention by the visitors was goalkeeper Marian Kello, who ensured United held only a one-goal lead at half-time but was powerless to prevent any of the home side's three strikes.
Kello was adamant that the lack of pay had not hindered Hearts' preparations and instead concluded he and his team-mates had simply been second best. "We don't think about money, only the game, and our opponents played much better than we did."
United might have been ahead as early as the second minute, with John Daly, who missed the midweek CIS Cup victory over Airdrie United due to the birth of his daughter, heading a Craig Conway corner against the crossbar from close range.
Kello bravely denied Sean Dillon as the full-back bore in on goal and then somehow arched to fingertip away Scott Robertson's backward header before saving a low drive from Conway as United threatened to run riot.
United are now a different proposition to the side that spent much of last season with a five-man midfield and a sole striker. With an array of forwards to choose from, manager Craig Levein has achieved recent success with a dual strikeforce and one man less in the centre of the park.
Typically, a team requires width and pace to make such a formation work and it is noteworthy that United's revival has coincided with the return of Conway from injury.
The winger was not exactly "untouchable" given that he was bundled to the floor at almost every opportunity, a tactic which would eventually cost Hearts defender Eggert Jonsson his place on the pitch and ensure United played out the final quarter of an hour with a numerical advantage.
The only surprise was that United's opener did not come from a Conway cross but from an outstanding free kick, the likes of which have been missing from the Tannadice armoury since Barry Robson departed for Parkhead in January. A rash challenge by Michael Stewart earned Conway a sight of goal six minutes before the break and Kello could only watch a wicked effort from 25 yards whistle into his top corner.
"We've not scored a free kick since Barry left and it's great to get that monkey off our backs," said Conway, who will be nursing a bruise or two but nevertheless displayed an impressive determination to bounce back to his feet. "I'm sore all over but that's part of the game, especially in my position. It's not nice but it's a sign that they can't handle you."
Morgaro Gomis almost added a second moments later but saw his powerful long-range drive clip the crossbar. Conway was ably abetted on the opposite flank by Willo Flood, who supplied Daly with the perfect end to his week, the Irishman neatly finishing past Kello five minutes after the restart to effectively end any hopes of a Hearts revival.
Quite simply, Hearts were posing no threat to the United goal, guarded manfully by a defence which has now recorded three clean sheets in succession. The introduction of Hearts strikers Mike Tullberg and Christian Nade had little impact.
It was only a matter of time before goal number three arrived, though there did appear to be an element of good fortune for United as an attempted clearance by Christos Karipidis from a Conway free kick only found the head of the impressive Robertson and the back of the Hearts net.
The clock was also ticking for Jonsson who, having already been booked for a foul on Conway, committed the folly once more and referee Dougie McDonald duly produced the red card.
One bright spark for Hearts arrived far too late, with Saulius Mikoliunas rattling a post with a low drive across goal.
The full article contains 857 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
