Stevie Campbell's charges were defeated 6 - 2 by their Hibs counterparts at Spartans’ Ainslie Park this afternoon.
The Hibees only took three minutes to get their noses in front when Jordan Sinclair netted at the second attempt after United keeper Michal Szromnik had blocked the striker’s first effort.
There was another blow for the Tangerines when Cammy Ballantyne limped off with just ten minutes left.
And three minutes later, Lewis Allan doubled the hosts' lead when he hammered home from close range after United failed to clear their lines following a corner from the left.
Midway through the opening half, Sinclair added the third with a shot on the turn from an acute angle.
Rarely seen as an attacking force, the visitors pulled one back when Ola Adeyemo, chasing a long Szromnik clearance, only had to knock the ball into the empty net after a blunder by home keeper Sean Brennan with 28 minutes gone.
Six minutes later, a cute Sinclair dummy let Alex Harris in and he stroked home the fourth from the edge of the box.
Three minutes after the re-start, Sinclair slotted home the fifth and Allan added a sixth with a curler into the top corner with 15 minutes left.
There was a crumb of comfort for the visitors with six minutes left, Jamie Montgomery heading home their second with six minutes left.
Dundee United: Szromnik, Spark, McLaughlin (Horne 46), B Smith, Ballantyne (Robson 10), H Souttar, Tiumilty, S Smith, Adeyemyo, Montgomery, Lochhead. Subs not used; Zwick, Duke, McNaughton.