Point earned against Hearts as Dundee United to continue in Betfred battle

Dundee United have their Betfred Cup future in their own hands after a hard-earned point at Hearts on Friday night.

With 10 points the usual target for progression from the group stage of the League Cup, the 1-1 draw at Tynecastle leaves Robbie Neilson’s men the chance to meet that providing they get wins over lower league sides Stenhousemuir, East Fife and Cowdenbeath.

For much of the contest, the Tangerines were second best against their Premiership opponents Hearts as the 2019/20 Scottish football season kicked off in torrential rain in the capital.

However, they showed plenty of spirit and togetherness to restrict their opponents to few clear-cut chances and could easily have grabbed all three points at the end.

Almost 1,200 United fans travelled to Edinburgh to see the club’s star signing in tangerine for the very first time.

Lawrence Shankland didn’t disappoint either as he opened his Dundee United scoring account with a trademark poacher’s finish within the opening 10 minutes.

The home side had looked dangerous in the opening stages with their own returning hero Jamie Walker a threat but it was the visitors who were cheering on nine minutes. Nice inter-play between Nicky Clark and Sam Stanton saw the former Hibs midfielder dink a cross into the danger zone and give Shankland the chance to do what he does best as he headed in from six yards.

Immediately, though, Hearts besieged the United goal with new signing Conor Washington flashing a shot wide from an angle and then Walker getting in behind Tangerines new boy Adrian Sporle only to be denied by keeper Benjy Siegrist.

The Swiss was certainly the busier of the two goalies and was on hand to deny Sean Clare and Michael Smith also as the Jambos piled on the pressure in the opening half.

And that pressure finally told, moments before the break.

Sporle had a tough welcome to Scottish football and brought a poor first half to a close with a rash challenge out wide. From the free-kick, United half-cleared and Jambos youngster Andy Irving found the bottom corner from 20 yards to level things up.

As much as the first half was played at breathtaking pace, the second couldn’t live up to the early standard set.

United hadn’t created much after Shankland’s opener but did so shortly after the restart as Paul McMullan burst down the right and found Stanton free at the far post but he couldn’t control the volley off the slick surface.

The Tangerines backline of Mark Connolly, Mark Reynolds, Liam Smith and Jamie Robson, who took over at left-back after Sporle was replaced at the break, continued to stand up to everything thrown at them by the Jambos.

And that gave their side the chance to grab the lead, only for Clark’s finishing to let him down on 77 minutes. Louis Appere had come on for Shankland and his good feet set up the former Rangers frontman. His blocked first effort saw Zdenek Zlamal on the ground but Clark’s attempted lob clipped the keeper and dropped wide.

Another piece of good fortune would follow as goalscorer Irving fell on the ball, handling it, as Clark looked to burst through on goal, and was given a red card by Kevin Clancy in the closing stages.

The resulting free-kick was poor, however, and the Tangerines weren’t able to make the most of their numerical advantage.

And they could have put themselves in pole position to win the group with a bonus point from the penalty shootout at the end but their poor run in shootouts continued from last season’s play-off final.

Clark saw his first kick saved before former Tangerine John Souttar stepped up with the fifth and final penalty to win the bonus point for Hearts.