A second-half penalty from Paul Hartley, following a handball by Dundee United defender Stuart Duff, gave troubled Hearts their first victory away from home in three months.

Hearts dropped a bombshell ahead of kick-off with the news that club captain Craig Gordon had been relegated to the bench, apparently due to illness, with Steve Banks starting in goal.

The Englishman was a major factor behind the Tynecastle club earning all three points in this Bank of Scotland Premier League match with two marvellous saves from Barry Robson free-kicks, while Christophe Berra cleared a late Barry Robson header off the line.

The dropping of Gordon was a major surprise given that the 23-year-old was named Hearts' skipper last week following the departure of previous captain Steven Pressley.

However, the Scotland international goalkeeper was subjected to an internal disciplinary hearing on Tuesday for his part in flanking Pressley - along with Hartley - when the former Hearts' defender criticised the way the club was being run under majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

Gordon's situation looks similar to that suffered by Hartley, who was dropped for the 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen last Saturday following his own disciplinary hearing.

It took only three minutes for Banks to be drawn into action, as David Robertson lashed a dipping shot towards goal from 25 yards which forced the Hearts stopper into a strong parry.

The away side immediately responded by launching their first attack of the afternoon, which saw Andrius Velicka dramatically fall to the turf when trying to take the ball around United keeper Derek Stillie -

incurring the wrath of the United defenders who were annoyed at the striker's theatrical attempts to win a penalty.

In the 27th minute, the first caution of the match was administered to Lee Mair for a late, sliding challenge on Velicka, but United were almost punished to the maximum extent from the resultant free-kick.

Hartley - restored to the Hearts side but overlooked for the role of captain in favour of Berra - whipped a low delivery towards the United six-yard box, where Marius Zaliukas clipped a right-footed towards goal which produced a fantastic save from Stillie.

However, despite coming agonisingly close to taking the lead, Hearts almost fell behind two minutes later and were only saved by a horrendous miss from Craig Conway, who fired over from only six yards out.

Hearts flew out of the traps at the beginning of the second half and were again denied by a wonderful piece of goalkeeping from the outstanding Stillie, who blocked an effort from Velicka after the Lithuanian linked up well with Michal Pospisil.

The visitors did not have to wait long to take the lead though, as they were awarded a penalty when Duff handled the ball, following Pospisil's header from a Robbie Neilson throw.

Hartley stepped up to confidently beat Stillie with a great finish from 12 yards and along with a clutch of team-mates raced to the Hearts' bench to celebrate the goal with Gordon.

It was Banks who was arguably the matchwinner for the visitors though, first tipping a 79th-minute Robson free-kick on to the crossbar and the producing a second world-class save from another searing set-piece strike by the United captain shortly afterwards.

United had all the pressure at the end, but even when Banks was beaten by a Robson header, Berra headed off the line to send Hearts into the Boxing Day derby against Hibs with a new degree of confidence.

Teams

Dundee Utd Stillie, Duff, Kenneth, Mair, Robb (McCracken 34),Conway, Kerr, Robertson, Robson, Samuel, Goodwillie (Smith 68).

Subs Not Used: McLean, Archibald, Cameron, Burnett, Watson.

Booked: Mair, Robertson.

Hearts Banks, Neilson, Berra, Zaliukas, Fyssas,Mikoliunas (Barasa 51), Hartley, Aguiar (Brellier 85), Driver,Velicka (Jankauskas 71), Pospisil.

Subs Not Used: Gordon, McCann, Bednar, Wallace.

Booked: Pospisil, Barasa, Aguiar, Zaliukas.

Goals: Hartley 55 pen.

Att: 7,789

Ref: C Richmond (Scotland).