Andy Kirk scored twice as Hearts squeezed into third place in the Premier
League at the expense of Dundee United at Tannadice.
The Jambos had opened the scoring in the 26th minute through Dutch forward
Mark de Vries.
But Northern Ireland international Kirk grabbed a second four minutes before
the break before ending the game as a contest six minutes into the second
period.
The Edinburgh side have now moved above Dunfermline, whose game at Motherwell
was postponed, on goal difference in the table.
But for the United fans it was another miserable afternoon at Tannadice as the
team failed to win another league game on home soil again after eight months of
waiting.
However, in the early exchanges, they took the play to Hearts but failed to
cause serious discomfort to the visitors' defence.
Indeed, they were unlucky not to fall behind in the fifth minute when Canadian
international Kevin McKenna ballooned the ball over the crossbar when a ricochet
fell straight at his feet in the box.
It was a wake-up call for the Taysiders but the manner of their response must
have pleased manager Paul Hegarty.
After being played in by Charlie Miller, Craig Easton unleashed a powerful
25-yard shot which Roddy McKenzie did brilliantly to tip over to safety.
But United were left shocked when they fell behind in the 26th minute.
The angry United bench were still contesting a free-kick down near the
touchline involving Jim Lauchlan and Kirk when Alan Maybury flighted the ball to
the back post.
De Vries outjumped Jim Hamilton to bullet a header into the top of the net.
Easton was booked for his part in protesting against the free-kick which led
to the goal while United boss Hegarty had to be restrained near the dug-out.
However, they could have had little complaint about the visitors' second goal
in the 41st minute.
After some good work by Maybury and Boyack, Jean-Louis Valois played the ball
into the path of De Vries.
The Dutchman scuffed his shot but Kirk was on hand at the far post to roll the
ball into the net.
At the start of the second period, the impressive Valois danced past two
United defenders before seeing his goal attempt cut out by Stuart Duff.
However, in the 51st minute, Hearts made it 3-0 and ended the game as a
contest.
Valois' neat pass behind Warren Cummings found Boyack free on the left and,
when he crossed into the box, Kirk converted the easy chance from six yards
out.
It was proving a dismal and luckless afternoon for United and their supporters
and manager Hegarty could not have been enjoying the fare either.
But the result sets Hearts up nicely for two further away games in succession
as they step up their bid for a European place.
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