First Team
Match Report | Rangers 1-1 Dundee United
23rd November 2024
Two goals in the first half from Jordan Robertson and a late penalty from skipper Barry Robson gave United another memorable victory at Tynecastle this afternoon.
In a game that saw two players sent off late on, Laryea Kingston grabbed a consolation goal for the home side in injury time after United keeper Szamotulski saw red for his second bookable offence.
Manager Craig Levein made only one change from the side that defeated Motherwell before the international break with striker Jordan Robertson coming in to replace Steven Robb.
United were to go in at half-time with a 2-0 lead courtesy of a double from on-loan striker Jordan Robertson but this perhaps did not reflect the balance of play. Hearts started brightly and could have been ahead early on when Laryea Kingston was causing problems down the right. On two occasions in the first three minutes, he played inviting balls across the United area but no one was able to convert them.
Christian Nade also fancied his chances but his sixth minute shot was well gathered by Szamotulski at the near post.
The opener came against the run of play in 14 minutes when Hearts right back Marius Zaliukas failed to clear the ball by the corner flag. It eventually broke to Robertson just inside the box and his shot on the turn found its way past Steven Banks in the Hearts goal and into the net at the far post.
Hearts came right back at United and claimed they should have had a penalty after 23 minutes when Kingston went down in a tussle with Kalvenes but referee Craig Thomson waved play on.
United's lead was then doubled in 25 minutes. A Christian Kalvenes free kick from just inside the Hearts half was nodded down by Lee Wilkie into the path of Robertson and he made no mistake from close range, firing the ball into the roof of the net.
There was a scare for United after 30 minutes when Barry Robson dribbled back towards his own goal before playing a loose ball back to the keeper. With Nade bearing down on him, Szamotulski had no choice but to pick the ball up, leading to an indirect free kick in the box. Kingston squared the ball to Michael Stewart on the edge of the box but his shot was well saved by Szamotulski.
Two minutes later Hearts again threatened, this time from a corner. However, Zaliukas' shot was cleared off the line at the front post by Morgaro Gomis.
The second half saw less in the way of clear-cut chances as United's midfield continued to frustrate Hearts, reducing them to speculative shots from outside the box.
The home side introduced Chilean striker Mauricio Pinilla after an hour but he never looked up to match sharpness and did little to worry the United defence.
The impressive Laryea Kingston continued to be the Gorgie side's main threat and his 75th minute shot wasn't far away from bringing Hearts back into the game.
As Hearts continued to press, space was becoming available and United could have gone 3-0 up after 87 minutes when Barry Robson's shot was turned onto the bar by Banks in the Hearts goal.
However, the game was settled a minute later when a Robson corner was headed towards goal by Lee Wilkie only to be hand-balled on the line by Calum Elliot. Referee Thomson had no hesitation in sending the player off and Barry Robson duly converted the spot kick with a powerful left-footed drive to send the small band of travelling Arabs behind the goal into ecstasy.
Just as the crowd thought the game may fizzle out, Hearts launched a final attack and a ball over the top left substitute Pinilla bearing down on Szamotulski. Realising that the ball wasn't going to make it into the box, the keeper lunged clumsily, bringing down Pinilla just outside the box. The referee had no choice but to show Szamotulski a second yellow card and then a red. Euan McLean came on for the rest of injury time but he was immediately forced to pick the ball out of the net as Kingston converted the free-kick in some style, although few Hearts fans remained to acclaim their best player's goal.
After the match, Craig Levein was full of praise for two-goal Robertson. "He's been excellent in training and today he played like a man against two physical centre backs." Describing himself as "thrilled" with the result, Levein claimed the last-minute dismissal of Szamotulski would not take the shine off this Saturday evening.
Man of the match: Every United player played their part in another excellent performance. Jordan Robertson took his chances well and Gomis, Flood and Buaben did well to retain possession and frustrate the Hearts midfield. However, Lee Wilkie was a tower at the back, added an assist for the second goal and rose well for the header that led to United's penalty, making him man of the match.
Teams
Hearts: Banks, Berra, Stewart, Jonsson, Neilson, Goncalves (Ivaskevicius 87), Nade (Pinilla 61), Driver (Ksanavicius 45), Kingston, Zaliukas, Elliot
Unused subs: Kurskis, Tall, Karipidis, Palazuelos
United: Szamotulski, Dillon, Kalvenes, Wilkie, Dods, Flood (McLean 90), Hunt, Robson, Gomis (Kerr 83), Buaben, Robertson (Robb 83)
Unused subs: Daly, Cameron, Kenneth, Duff
Referee: Craig Thomson
Attendance: 16,661
Click here for the full report by Ross Burns.
In a game that saw two players sent off late on, Laryea Kingston grabbed a consolation goal for the home side in injury time after United keeper Szamotulski saw red for his second bookable offence.
Manager Craig Levein made only one change from the side that defeated Motherwell before the international break with striker Jordan Robertson coming in to replace Steven Robb.
United were to go in at half-time with a 2-0 lead courtesy of a double from on-loan striker Jordan Robertson but this perhaps did not reflect the balance of play. Hearts started brightly and could have been ahead early on when Laryea Kingston was causing problems down the right. On two occasions in the first three minutes, he played inviting balls across the United area but no one was able to convert them.
Christian Nade also fancied his chances but his sixth minute shot was well gathered by Szamotulski at the near post.
The opener came against the run of play in 14 minutes when Hearts right back Marius Zaliukas failed to clear the ball by the corner flag. It eventually broke to Robertson just inside the box and his shot on the turn found its way past Steven Banks in the Hearts goal and into the net at the far post.
Hearts came right back at United and claimed they should have had a penalty after 23 minutes when Kingston went down in a tussle with Kalvenes but referee Craig Thomson waved play on.
United's lead was then doubled in 25 minutes. A Christian Kalvenes free kick from just inside the Hearts half was nodded down by Lee Wilkie into the path of Robertson and he made no mistake from close range, firing the ball into the roof of the net.
There was a scare for United after 30 minutes when Barry Robson dribbled back towards his own goal before playing a loose ball back to the keeper. With Nade bearing down on him, Szamotulski had no choice but to pick the ball up, leading to an indirect free kick in the box. Kingston squared the ball to Michael Stewart on the edge of the box but his shot was well saved by Szamotulski.
Two minutes later Hearts again threatened, this time from a corner. However, Zaliukas' shot was cleared off the line at the front post by Morgaro Gomis.
The second half saw less in the way of clear-cut chances as United's midfield continued to frustrate Hearts, reducing them to speculative shots from outside the box.
The home side introduced Chilean striker Mauricio Pinilla after an hour but he never looked up to match sharpness and did little to worry the United defence.
The impressive Laryea Kingston continued to be the Gorgie side's main threat and his 75th minute shot wasn't far away from bringing Hearts back into the game.
As Hearts continued to press, space was becoming available and United could have gone 3-0 up after 87 minutes when Barry Robson's shot was turned onto the bar by Banks in the Hearts goal.
However, the game was settled a minute later when a Robson corner was headed towards goal by Lee Wilkie only to be hand-balled on the line by Calum Elliot. Referee Thomson had no hesitation in sending the player off and Barry Robson duly converted the spot kick with a powerful left-footed drive to send the small band of travelling Arabs behind the goal into ecstasy.
Just as the crowd thought the game may fizzle out, Hearts launched a final attack and a ball over the top left substitute Pinilla bearing down on Szamotulski. Realising that the ball wasn't going to make it into the box, the keeper lunged clumsily, bringing down Pinilla just outside the box. The referee had no choice but to show Szamotulski a second yellow card and then a red. Euan McLean came on for the rest of injury time but he was immediately forced to pick the ball out of the net as Kingston converted the free-kick in some style, although few Hearts fans remained to acclaim their best player's goal.
After the match, Craig Levein was full of praise for two-goal Robertson. "He's been excellent in training and today he played like a man against two physical centre backs." Describing himself as "thrilled" with the result, Levein claimed the last-minute dismissal of Szamotulski would not take the shine off this Saturday evening.
Man of the match: Every United player played their part in another excellent performance. Jordan Robertson took his chances well and Gomis, Flood and Buaben did well to retain possession and frustrate the Hearts midfield. However, Lee Wilkie was a tower at the back, added an assist for the second goal and rose well for the header that led to United's penalty, making him man of the match.
Teams
Hearts: Banks, Berra, Stewart, Jonsson, Neilson, Goncalves (Ivaskevicius 87), Nade (Pinilla 61), Driver (Ksanavicius 45), Kingston, Zaliukas, Elliot
Unused subs: Kurskis, Tall, Karipidis, Palazuelos
United: Szamotulski, Dillon, Kalvenes, Wilkie, Dods, Flood (McLean 90), Hunt, Robson, Gomis (Kerr 83), Buaben, Robertson (Robb 83)
Unused subs: Daly, Cameron, Kenneth, Duff
Referee: Craig Thomson
Attendance: 16,661
Click here for the full report by Ross Burns.
