European hangover is AZ bad as it gets

Hearts add to United’s agony

ON this evidence, perhaps qualification for European football should come with a government health warning. After being shredded to the point of humiliation in Alkmaar on thursday, the expectation was that Dundee United would come out swinging and prove a point.

instead, for the third time in a week, Jack Ross’ side went down with a whimper, the mental hangover of their continental disaster plainly still in the system.

All the talk of atonement at tynecastle for the 7-0 loss in the Netherlands lasted all of 43 seconds, the precise time it took for Lawrence shankland to remind his former club of his predatory instincts in the penalty box.

United’s second-half resistance was just as feeble. they were two down through Barrie McKay within three minutes of the restart and out of the running just after the hour mark courtesy of Jorge Grant’s first hearts’ goal.

Josh Ginnelly’s smart finish deep into added time negated steven Fletcher’s penalty consolation and completed a thoroughly-miserable week for Ross’ side.

they’ve now conceded 12 goals across the games with Livingston, AZ and hearts. how distant the memory of that excellent first-leg win over the Dutch side now seems.

Ross badly needs his side to rediscover some confidence and accumulate some points or else this season of so much promise will quickly disintegrate into a desperate struggle.

they looked completely lost at times yesterday with fundamental errors pockmarking their play. A dire attempt by keeper Mark Birighitti to field Michael smith’s tame shot led to Grant claiming the third and pretty much summed up their afternoon.

Long before then, a trickle of

United fans were already making for the exit, doubtless wondering if events of the past week weren’t some kind of feverish nightmare. Alas, it was all too real.

hearts were everything United were not here. Although there was room for improvement at the interval, Robbie Neilson’s side completely dominated the contest in the second period.

the threat of their front four —

Alan Forrest, Liam Boyce, McKay and shankland — was ever present, with the solidity offered by the sitting midfielders in Grant and Cammy Devlin giving real balance to the side.

seven points from their first three league matches is already a tidy sum and you sense they have another gear yet to engage.

Neilson’s men finished 13 points clear in third place last season. Good luck to anyone closing that gap by next May.

More immediately, there is the small matter of facing FC Zurich in switzerland on thursday in the Europa League play-off.

Despite the swiss’ winless start to the season continuing with a draw at Winterhur yesterday, Neilson will caution against his side assuming anything. Nor, though, should they travel with an inferiority complex. they have a real shot at this.

seeking to consign the nightmare in Alkmaar to history, Ross made three changes to his side.

Fletcher and Craig sibbald dropped to the bench, with Dylan Levitt out altogether through a knee knock. Glenn Middleton, Ross Graham and Mathew Cudjoe were drafted in.

Neilson’s only switch was Devlin replacing Peter haring, a move that bore fruit before many had taken their seats.

it was a goal of remarkable simplicity. Boyce was allowed to thread the ball in behind Aziz Behich to send Devlin clear.

the midfielder’s cutback to the near post was meat and drink for shankland. the forward bundled the ball beyond Birighitti.

After all of the talk of making amends, the United fans behind the Australian’s goal could scarcely believe what they’d witnessed.

Even experienced campaigners in tangerine looked all at sea. Playing in a holding role, Charlie Mulgrew’s ill-advised cross-field ball was intercepted, with McKay running 40 yards to test Birighitti’s reflexes with an effort that seemed destined for the far corner.

the game could have been over as a contest before it had started. McKay then forced Birighitti to punch a fierce strike away after he’d been allowed to dance across the box. the United keeper then denied Forrest and Grant in quick succession.

the only plus point for Ross, as the first water break arrived, was that his side were still afloat.

Ryan Edwards’ 30-yard drive at least forced Craig Gordon into action. the keeper was pleased to see his parry shelled to safety.

With United finally enjoying a brief spell of pressure before the interval, the hearts skipper was second to Liam smith’s cross. tony Watt couldn’t guide the ball on target.

Hearts were still the dominant side. Birighitti’s team-mates owed the keeper a vote of thanks for pinching the ball from the feet of Devlin as the home side sought a second goal.

The home fans waited barely three minutes in the second period to see what they wanted.

McKay posed no obvious threat as he gathered the ball close to the left touchline 25 yards from goal.

Cudjoe, presumably, was unfamiliar with the winger’s long history of producing the spectacular out of nothing.

Ushering McKay infield, the young Ghanaian was soon up to speed. McKay’s right-foot shot from 23 yards flew into the net.

United’s hopes of a most unlikely comeback were snuffed out by Kye Rowle’s crunching challenge on Ian Harkes then Grant’s timely block on Cudjoe.

Any lingering doubt as to where the three points were going lasted until the 62nd minute.

Smith’s curling effort was on target but Birighitti should have held it all day long. Seemingly devoid of confidence, the keeper spilled the ball straight into Grant’s path. The former Peterborough man calmly converted from three yards to claim his first goal in maroon.

United claimed a morsel of consolation when Fletcher stepped off the bench to convert a penalty with 19 minutes remaining, the award stemming from Gary Mackay-Steven upending Behich.

Fittingly, Hearts had the last word on the day, though. Sent clear by Shankland in the last minute of added time, Ginnelly picked his spot under Birighitti.

Hearts are off to Switzerland with a spring in their step. Where United go from here is anyone’s guess.

HEARTS (4-2-3-1): Gordon 7; Smith 7, Halkett 7, Rowles 7, Cochrane 7 (Kingsley 76); Devlin 8, Grant 7 (Halliday 76); Forrest 7 (Mackay-Steven 57), Boyce 7 (Haring 57), McKay 8 (Ginnelly 76); Shankland 7. Subs not used: Stewart, Atkinson, Neilson, Sibbick. Booked: None. DUNDEE UNITED (4-1-4-1): Birighitti 4; Smith 5, Graham 5, Edwards 5, Behich 4; Mulgrew 5 (Sibbald 52); Cudjoe 4 (Fletcher 52), McGrath 5, Harkes 5, Middleton 5; Watt 5.

Subs not used: Eriksson, McMann, Niskanen, Clark, Meekison, Freeman, Fotheringham. Booked: Graham, McGrath, Cudjoe, Edwards. Man of the match: Barrie McKay. Referee: Colin Steven. Attendance: 18,856.