Source: Team_Talk
Daly heads Terrors to victory
Dundee United defied the absence of David Goodwillie to keep up the pace at the top of the SPL with a 1-0 win at Hearts on Sunday.[LNB] Goodwillie was missing after United agreed a fee with Blackburn for the 22-year-old striker, but the visitors put the potential departure of their talisman behind them when Jon Daly nodded in Willo Flood's 38th-minute corner.[LNB]In a riveting contest between the teams who finished third and fourth in the SPL last term, John Rankin had earlier hit the bar with a free-kick for United, while Hearts had a number of opportunities themselves, with Stephen Elliott prodding wide after a neat turn soon after the hosts had gone behind.[LNB]David Templeton was denied by goalkeeper Dusan Pernis in the second half as United showed they are more than a one-man team and there will be life after Goodwillie.[LNB]Hearts perhaps paid the price for their Europa League qualifying excursion to Hungary, where they drew 1-1 with Paks, with manager Jim Jefferies opting for a solitary enforced change.[LNB]The hosts started well and a Marius Zaliukas shot ricocheted off Elliott, who started in place of the suspended Jamie Hamill, and narrowly wide, before a Ryan McGowan long throw had to be flapped away by Pernis.[LNB]The visitors had a good opportunity when they were awarded a free-kick after Adrian Mrowiec was adjudged to have impeded Rankin on the edge of the box.[LNB]Referee Brian Winter immediately blew for the foul, but insisted it was outside the area despite the former Hibernian midfielder tumbling inside.[LNB]Rankin struck the subsequent free-kick which beat Hearts goalkeeper Marian Kello but came back off the bar.[LNB]Pernis was soon called into action again at the other end, saving Elliott's effort from Danny Grainger's cross before John Sutton diverted another cross from the left narrowly wide.[LNB]Kello was at full stretch to deny Daly as the United captain met Paul Dixon's left-wing cross with a first-time volley, but from the subsequent corner the Hearts goalkeeper was beaten.[LNB]Flood's set-piece found Daly unmarked eight yards out and the striker headed United in front.[LNB]Elliott had another opportunity after controlling Eggert Jonsson's drive before prodding off target when he perhaps should have done better as Hearts entered the interval behind.[LNB]The hosts began the second half well as Grainger cut in off the left and shaped to shoot, only to be brought down by Flood.[LNB]The United midfielder earned the game's first booking for the foul but the visitors escaped further punishment as Templeton curled the free-kick wide.[LNB]Kello then saved from Scott Allan, making his first United start, after Hearts only half-cleared a Flood corner before the Hearts stopper held a Garry Kenneth header.[LNB]United were causing Hearts trouble and Johnny Russell twisted before drilling a left-foot shot across goal and wide of the upright.[LNB]Hearts soon had Pernis in action again as Templeton latched onto Sutton's flick-on from Kello's long ball forward before hitting a blistering drive which the United number one turned behind for a corner.[LNB]Jefferies introduced the fit again Rudi Skacel and Arvydas Novikovas for Elliott and Mrowiec with 20 minutes remaining, seeking a fresh impetus.[LNB]United replaced Scott Severin with Scott Robertson and Hearts pulled off Sutton for Ryan Stevenson as the changes continued before Grainger was booked following a challenge on Flood.[LNB]Hearts kept the pressure on, but struggled to create chances.[LNB]Kenneth recovered from a lapse in concentration to intercept a ball bound for Skacel, and Stevenson saw a hooked effort from a narrow angle go along the goalline as the United defence stood firm and the visitors celebrated victory.
