If the Hearts squad manage to have a night out any time soon, Zander Clark might want to make sure he’s the first man at the bar.
While he’s getting the drinks in, the goalkeeper should also order a double for Stuart Findlay after the big defender bailed him out in remarkable fashion at Tannadice.
Hearts’ turbo-charged start to the season was in danger of being derailed after Clark was at fault for two goals from Dundee United wide man Ivan Dolcek which cancelled out Lawrence Shankland’s early spot-kick opener for the visitors.
Step forward Findlay, who is quickly becoming a favourite of the Hearts support. After scoring in last Monday night’s 2-0 win over Aberdeen, the Oxford United loanee produced two more outstanding headed goals — the second of them coming in the 94th minute — to earn a dramatic victory.
It keeps Derek McInnes’ side on top of the Premiership table and maintains the momentum sparked by ambitious Brighton owner Tony Bloom’s financial investment in the club.
If the finale was one to savour for those of a Gorgie persuasion, it was cruel on United who contributed to a tremendous contest on the back of their impressive 2-2 draw with Rapid Vienna in the Conference League qualifiers.
Stuart Findlay scored with two headers to give Hearts a dramatic 3-2 win over Dundee United
Striker Lawrence Shankland strokes home a penalty to give Hearts the lead at Tannadice
Dundee United’s Ivan Dolcek celebrates scoring the second of his two first-half goals
On this evidence, they are capable of enjoying another successful domestic campaign.
For Hearts and their jubilant fans, who knows where this season might lead? There is surely still plenty of improvement to come from the squad being assembled, while in the short term they are displaying a happy knack of always finding a way to win games.
Shankland and Claudio Braga are quickly establishing what could be a highly profitable partnership up front and they combined intelligently on the left to force a corner which presented the visitors with their first opening of the afternoon.
Harry Milne, who continues to impress at left wing-back, whipped over an inviting delivery and the unmarked Frankie Kent should have done better than head over from around eight yards.
United’s response was positive and they showed no early indications of feeling any adverse effects from their exertions in securing such a creditable result in Austria last Thursday night.
Vicko Sevelj forced Clark into action for the first time when he found time and space to unleash a sweetly-struck right-foot shot. On an afternoon when Clark wouldn’t cover himself in glory, he was alert to the danger on this occasion as he threw himself to his right to turn the ball wide.
The tone was set for a hugely absorbing contest, with play sweeping from end to end.
Hearts missed another glorious opportunity in the 14th minute when Alan Forrest picked out Braga with a perfect cross from the right, only for the forward to steer his close range header straight at Yevhen Kucherenko.
McInnes’ men made the breakthrough five minutes later as sustained pressure saw United’s Moldovan defender Iurie Iovu clumsily pull down Findlay inside the six yard box.
Referee David Dickinson had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Shankland coolly sent Kucherenko the wrong way from 12 yards.
Just as Hearts appeared primed to take control of the contest, United delivered the perfect riposte in the 22nd minute.
Kent conceded a free-kick just outside the penalty area when he got caught on the wrong side of Owen Stirton and hauled down the young United forward. Dolcek struck the set-piece sublimely with his left foot to bend it over the defensive wall. Clark, having got his left hand to the ball, should have done better than simply help it on its way into the net.
If that was a source of huge frustration for McInnes, worse was to follow as United completed their first half turnaround with a second goal four minutes before the break.
Panutche Camara’s clever pass set Dolcek free on the left of the penalty area. His rising shot was completely misjudged by the goalkeeper who got his angles horribly wrong and fumbled the ball into the roof of the net.
Hearts equalised in the 58th minute, Findlay rising to meet Milne’s corner and steer home a picture-book header beyond Kucherenko.
It looked as if Hearts would have to settle for a point but a flurry of stoppage-time pressure paid a rich dividend when Findlay stretched every sinew to meet Alexandros Kyziridis’ corner and grab the winner with an angled near-post header.
Dundee United (3-5-2): Kucherenko 6.5; Iovu 6, Esselink 6.5, Keresztes 6.5; Thomson 7.5, Sevelj 7, Camara 7.5 (Fotheringham 66), Sibbald 6.5, Dolcek 8; Stirton 7.5, Sapsford 6 (Fatah 66).
Booked: Keresztes, Camara, Sevelj.
Manager: Jim Goodwin 7.5.
Hearts (3-5-2): Clark 4; Kent 5 (Steinwender 46), Halkett 7.5, Findlay 8.5; Forrest 6 (Kyziridis 46), McEntee 7, Devlin 7, Spittal 6.5 (Kerjota 63), Milne 7.5 (Kingsley 77); Shankland 7.5, Braga 7.5 (Wilson 84).
Booked: Milne, Braga, Kyziridis, Findlay.
Manager: Derek McInnes 8.5.
Referee: David Dickinson.
Attendance: 10,874.
