A 87th-minute deflected free-kick from Paul Hartley gave never-say-die Hearts all three points against Dundee United in an exciting Bank of Scotland Premier League clash at Tynecastle.

A Barry Robson free-kick after 19 minutes, also deflected, gave the Taysiders the lead until United keeper Tony Bullock flapped at a Phil Stamp corner to give Steven Pressley an easy equaliser just before the break.

Debutant Lee Miller came on for the Gorgie men at the break and bundled a Kevin McKenna header over the line three minutes later but the home side's lead was short-lived as Alan Archibald struck with a glorious 25-yard free-kick.

But with only three minutes to go Hartley was aided by a wicked deflection as he drove a 25-yard free-kick past the helpless Bullock for the Jambos' first win in six games.

It was the home side who kicked the game off with the unusual strike partnership of Ramon Pereira and McKenna and from the first whistle Hearts assumed control.

McKenna got a far post header in on goal from a Joe Hamill cross after four minutes but Bullock saved comfortably.

However, moments later at the other end Stevie Crawford, who was jeered by Jambos fans from his first touch for turning his back on their club, should have opened his account.

United playmaker Grant Brebner robbed Stamp in the midfield area to leave the Scottish international clean through but the Crawford blasted his 16-yard shot straight at Hearts keeper Craig Gordon.

However, in the 19th minute the visitors took the lead out of the blue with a fortuitously deflected free-kick from Robson.

After Derek Mines had been pushed in the back by Paul Hartley 25 yards from goal, Robson stepped up to thunder a left-footed shot which took a touch off the Jambos' wall and arced over Gordon into the top corner.

In the 32nd minute McKenna had a decent chance when he latched onto a Pereira lob into the penalty area but the big Canadian was off balance and knocked his volley past Bullock's left-hand post from around eight yards out.

But in the 44th minute the home side were back on level terms with a goal which was simply down to poor goalkeeping by Bullock.

Stamp swung a corner over from the right which the United keeper came out and missed completely and Pressley was at the back post to volley into the empty goal from close range.

Miller came on to make his debut in place of Hamill after the interval as John Robertson opted for a more positive line-up with three players in attack.

And the approach worked almost immediately when former Falkirk player Miller grabbed his first goal in maroon to give the home side the lead.

A Hartley free-kick to the back post, after Miller had been fouled by United defender Archibald, was headed across goal by McKenna and Miller almost had to push Pereira out of the way to bundle the ball into the net.

The match looked as if it had swung towards the Edinburgh, side who were then suddenly playing with a new-found confidence.

However, in the 53rd minute, as the game took another twist, the visitors equalised with Archibald's tremendous free-kick after Hearts full-back Robbie Neilson had been penalised for high feet.

As the Hearts defensive wall braced themselves, Scotland Future player Mark Wilson rolled the ball across to the former Partick defender and he unleashed an unstoppable drive which flew past the flailing Gordon.

The three points were again up for grabs as play raced from end to end but Pereira might have done better in the 64th minute than blasting his right-footed shot over the bar from 16 yards after turning inside Wilson.

The home side dominated the latter stages of the game and got the goal their pressure deserved when United defender Paul Ritchie fouled Hearts substitute Dennis Wyness.

Up stepped Hartley to hammer past Bullock to give his side a welcome victory.

Teams:

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, McAllister, Stamp, MacFarlane (Simmons 76), Hartley, Hamill (Miller 45), McKenna (Wyness 62), Pereira.

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, Weir, Berra, Wallace.

Booked: Simmons.

Goals: Pressley 44, Miller 49, Hartley 86.

Dundee Utd: Bullock, Wilson, Archibald, Ritchie, McCracken, Kerr, McInnes, Brebner (Mair 65), Robson, Crawford (Scotland 84), McIntyre.

Subs Not Used: Jarvie, Dodds, Grady, Robertson, Kenneth.

Booked: Robson, McInnes.

Goals: Robson 19, Archibald 53.

Att: 10,305

Ref: M Ritchie (Scotland).