Hearts thrash sorry United

Phil Stamp scored Hearts' opener

Hearts 3-0 Dundee United

An excellent first-half performance ensured a comprehensive victory for the home side against a United team that failed to make any impression on the Hearts goal.

Phil Stamp opened the scoring with a free kick and United gifted Hearts a second when Mark Wilson headed past his own keeper.

The impressive Mark de Vries scored a superb third goal, and although Hearts took their foot off the gas in the second half, their lead was never in any danger.

United remain rooted to the foot of the table, pointless and still searching for some cohesion in their new-look team.

Hearts came close to breaking the deadlock in the eighth minute with a powerful Alan Maybury shot that flew just by Paul Gallacher's right-hand post.

After 20 minutes, the home side were in front when Stamp hit a free kick low into the net at that same post.

A minute later, Hearts were two in front. Stamp tried to find De Vries with a long cross-field ball, only for Wilson to attempt a headed back-pass that evaded his keeper and dropped into the net.

Collin Samuel threatened for the visitors on the half-hour mark when he held off Steven Pressley to get in a right-foot shot that Tepi Moilanen held at the second attempt.

De Vries increased Hearts' lead 10 minutes before the break with a fantastic goal.

Mark de Vries celebrates a fine goal

He accepted a pass before turning inside one defender and then slotting the ball past Gallacher with his left foot from close range.

Hearts started the second half as they had finished the first and Dennis Wyness almost opened his scoring account for the club with a close-range volley in the 49th minute but Gallacher's save was incredible.

The game rather died as the second half wore on, with United coming more into the game but still unable to threaten the Hearts goal.

Barry Robson did curl a cute shot just over the crossbar in the 65th minute, but Moilanen remained largely untroubled.

With 10 minutes left, Miller claimed for a penalty after Moilanen felled him in the area, but the referee indicated that the midfielder had invited the attentions of the keeper.

With eight minutes remaining, Wilson cleared off the line after De Vries looked to have made it four for the home side, and Hearts had to settle for three.

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Hearts: Moilanen, Maybury, Pressley, Webster, McMullan (Neilson 74), MacFarlane, Stamp, Severin, Hamill (Boyack 69), de Vries (McKenna 83), Wyness.

Subs Not Used: Gordon, Kirk.

Booked: Maybury, Stamp.

Dundee Utd: Gallacher, McCracken, Griffin (Duff 45), Archibald, Bollan (Miller 60), Wilson, Kerr, McInnes, Robson, Dodds (McIntyre 54), Samuel.

Subs Not Used: Bullock, James Paterson.

Booked: McInnes, Samuel , Miller, Kerr.

Att: 11,395

Ref: I Brines

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