Ten man Hearts were beaten 1-0 by Dundee United at Tynecastle on Sunday afternoon.
In the Jambos’ final home match before the split, James Wilson’s first half red card for a foul against Luca Stephenson gave the men in maroon an uphill battle.
Sam Dalby’s flicked header sealed the points for the visitors, with Hearts’ top six hopes to be decided at Fir Park next week.
Neil Critchley made four changes to the side that faced Celtic last weekend as Jamie McCart, Blair Spittal, Jorge Grant and Sander Kartum came into the XI, with Lewis Neilson, Harry Milne, Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland dropping out.
It wasn’t an action packed start to proceedings in Gorgie, with United shading possession in the opening 15 minutes before Elton Kabangu registered the first chance of the half; nipping onto the end of Spittal’s high ball and forcing a stop from Jack Walton with a side footed sweep.
Hearts were up and running after that, testing United’s mettle again and again, with Jorge Grant seeing his daisy cutter shoot into Walton’s palms from distance after James Wilson blasted the side netting minutes earlier.
Wilson was at the heart of events again after 25 minutes as his sweeping effort from the edge of the box was held by Walton; the youngster profiting from a lax United clearance from a Kabangu drive.
Another fine chance went astray moments later as Grant slid a clinical ball across goal to a waiting Wilson – with his first time attempt dragging wide of the post from an angle.
United had their moments too: a free-kick won 25-yards from goal was sent high and wide over Gordon’s crossbar by Ryan Strain after 34 minutes.
Another opportunity fell the way of Hearts the following minute, with Kabangu’s excellent running down the left preceded the ball being hammered across the face of goal. James Wilson met it with a good flick, but Walton was down once more to smother.
The game took a twist five minutes before the half’s conclusion, with Hearts reduced to ten men. James Wilson slid for a 50/50 ball with Luca Stephenson, with referee Nick Walsh deciding it met the threshold for dismissal.
HT: Heart of Midlothian 0-0 Dundee United
Facing an uphill challenge, the Jambos went behind after 68 minutes as United claimed the lead via Sam Dalby. The forward was on the end of a cross from the right, with his flicked header looping into the net beyond the reach of Craig Gordon.
The Jambos maintained their assasult, and saw a chance fall their way after 73 minutes, with Kabangu holding the ball up nicely in the box before laying off to Adam Forrester – the youngster’s attempt saved by Walton.
There was no way back for the men in maroon, and left the game empty-handed.
Hearts: Gordon ©, Baningime (Musa 82’), Grant (Shankland 71’), Steinwender, Spittal (Nieuwenhof 71’), Kabagu, Wilson, Kartum (Devlin 64’), Penrice, McCart, Forrester
Subs: Fulton, Halkett, Nieuwenhof, Shankland, Devlin, Forrest, Milne, Dhanda, Musa
Dundee United: Walton, Strain, Cleall-Harding (Trapanovski 59’), Moult (Babunski 59’), Ferry, Adegboyega, Stephenson (Sibbald 76’), Dalby (Van der Sande 90’), Campbell (Middleton 59’), Docherty, Gallagher
Subs: Richards, Trapanovski, Fiorini, Babunski, Sibbald, Middleton, Van der Sande, Paton, Fotheringham
Attendance: 18,888
