United end home hoodoo

Alan Archibald had given United the lead at Tannadice

Dundee Utd 2-1 Hearts

Dundee United ended their Hearts hoodoo to record their first home league win of the season.

Goals from Alan Archibald - his first for United - and Derek McInnes ensured that they ended their six-year wait for a victory over Hearts at Tannadice.

Scott Severin pulled one back for Hearts, but United held out to take all three points.

Hearts had travelled to Tannadice hoping to get back on track after their exit from the Uefa Cup on Thursday.

Head coach Craig Levein was without midfielder Paul Hartley and made three changes in all, Jean Louis Valois and the suspended Phil Stamp dropping out, with Stephen Simmons, Andy Kirk and Scott Severin coming in.

United boss Ian McCall made two changes to the team that lost 5-1 to Celtic last time out, bringing in Jim Paterson and Mark Kerr for Barry Robson and Craig Easton.

The home side took the lead in the 12th minute after a cleverly-worked corner kick.

Andy McLaren set up Archibald on the edge of the area and the defender sent a curling, cross-cum-shot past goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Scott Severin gave Hearts a second-half lifeline

Hearts should have equalised three minutes later, when Mark de Vries released Andy Kirk, but the striker did not put enough weight on his flick past goalkeeper Paul Gallacher and David McCracken had time to clear the ball off the line.

Kirk had another good chance when he was found eight yards out by an Alan Maybury cross but fired his header straight at Gallacher and the goalkeeper turned it over the bar.

United doubled their lead in the 44th minute, when McInnes slotted a Paterson cross past Kevin Gordon from an acute angle.

Hearts were back in the match within a minute of the restart.

McCracken rose to head clear a Maybury corner, but it fell to Severin and the midfielder volleyed the ball straight into the bottom left-hand corner.

Scoring gave Hearts new impetus and Canadian defender Kevin McKenna, taken by surprise when the ball fell to him in the penalty area, smacked the woodwork from six-yards.

Hearts continued to pile forward, but the home side held firm and earned three points in front of their own fans for the first time since March.

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Dundee Utd: Gallacher, Wilson, McCracken, Innes, Archibald, McLaren, Kerr, McInnes, James Paterson, Dodds, McIntyre.
Subs: Jarvie, Miller, Samuel, Duff, Easton.

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, McKenna, Webster, Maybury, MacFarlane, Severin, Kisnorbo, Simmons, de Vries, Kirk.
Subs: Moilanen, McCann, Valois, Wyness, Berra.

Referee: A Freeland

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