Hearts' run of good form continued as they beat Dundee United 4-1 in their
last home match of the season at Tynecastle.
The Jambos never looked back after Paul Ritchie fired them ahead four minutes
before the break.
Stephane Adam's free-kick found Ritchie who climbed above the United defence to
bullet the ball into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
Hearts dominated the first 15 minutes and Gary Naysmith nearly opened the
scoring after only four minutes.
He went past three United players and fired a low powerful shot just past Alan Combe's left-hand post.
Two minutes later Naysmith went close again with a
glancing header.
Hearts went 2-0 up five minutes into the second half.
Darren Jackson split the
United defence and sent Colin Cameron clear.
He squared the ball into the path
of Gary McSwegan who beat Combe.
After Hearts' second goal United started to show some determination to get
back into the match and Steven Thompson's shot was just too high to trouble home
keeper Roddy McKenzie.
Hearts then stepped up a gear and were rewarded with a third goal from
Adam in the 67th minute.
A long ball from midfield was flicked on by McSwegan and landed at the feet of
Adam who blasted the ball into the back of the net.
Hearts were coasting and a fourth goal was inevitable.
Cameron grabbed it by
latching onto a throw and steering a low shot past Combe.
On the strength of this poor performance, United looked like a side who
were lucky to miss the drop.
Paul Sturrock will have to look long and hard at his squad and make some
drastic changes for next season.
However, they did get a consolation goal in injury time when John Eustace
headed the ball low into the net from the six-yard line.
Teams
Hearts: McKenzie, Naysmith, Ritchie, Adam, Cameron,
Jackson (Flogel 70), Locke (Guerin 70), Pressley, Murray,
Severin, McSwegan (Juanjo 70).
Subs Not Used: McPherson, Strang.
Goals: Ritchie 41, McSwegan 50, Adam 67, Cameron 77.
Dundee Utd: Combe, Hannah, Dodds, McNally, Thompson, De Vos,
Murray (Mathie 70), Eustace, McCulloch, Worrell,McLaughlin (Olofsson 51).
Subs Not Used: Dykstra, Partridge, McConalogue.
Goals: Eustace 90.
Att: 13,187
Ref: D Smith (Troon).
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