Dundee United found their way through the fog at Tannadice to emerge fourth in the SPL and make their manager proud.
As the teams lined up, United’s central defensive merry-go-round was in action again, with striker Jon Daly the one to slot in alongside Sean Dillon.
Paul Dixon, who was in the middle of the backline against Motherwell in Sunday’s cup tie, reverted to left-back, while David Robertson and Russell got starts. Winger Craig Conway was rested, while Danny Swanson dropped down to the bench and Prince Buaben served the first of his two-game suspension.
Returning to Tannadice for the first time since he walked out of the tunnel holding the Scottish Cup the day after lifting it at Hampden was Andy Webster, now in the colours of Hearts.
The game took a while to get going but on six minutes there was a chance for United striker David Goodwillie but he could only head Keith Watson’s cross over when unmarked.
The home side came close again a minute later, with an outstretched arm by keeper Marian Kello preventing a header from his own player, David Templeton, flying into the net.
Hearts had to wait until the 16th minutes for their first effort at goal, United keeper Dusan Pernis diving to his left to smother a well-struck shot from Ryan Stevenson.
On 24 minutes Hearts’ Ismael Bouzid became the first player to be booked, collecting the card for a challenge on Barry Douglas that the away fans and management team thought was hard but fair.
Templeton tried his luck from 25 yards as the half-hour mark passed, then Goodwillie came within a whisker of putting United ahead with a fine strike that Kello did well to tip over the bar.
That seemed to waken Hearts, and Templeton went on a mazy run before laying the ball off to Stephen Elliott who steered it wide of the post.
Douglas had his name taken on 39 minutes for a foul on Bouzid and that was the last incident of a disappointing first half.
The mist was getting thicker as the second half kicked off but there wasn’t much to see anyway as the match struggled to get going again.
Hearts tried to get motoring by bringing on Andrew Driver for Bouzid, then had an appeal for a penalty turned down on 63 minutes after Templeton went down after colliding with Watson.
United also needed to change things and manager Houston duly obliged, introducing Swanson for Douglas.
Goodwillie tried to spark things up on 75 minutes with a run into the box that ended with Kello saving down at the near post but spilling the ball out for a corner.
The frontman picked up a yellow card for fouling Ian Black and, in the process, halting a promising United attack, then was quickly joined in the book by team-mate Morgaro Gomis and Hearts’ Lee Wallace.
The foul by Wallace on Russell that earned the booking was to prove extremely expensive for the visitors.
Swanson took the set-piece, floating the ball into the box and up popped Russell to send a looping header up and over Kello to make it 1-0 on 83 minutes.
The hosts then topped the evening off by grabbing another goal in the third minute of stoppage time.
Dixon swung a cross in from the left with reached the toe of Swanson’s boot. The connection wasn’t enough to steer the ball past Kello but Russell swept up the rebound to send the United fans home happy.
Tangerines boss Peter Houston was delighted with the night’s work a win that means they are unbeaten in seven games.
The result must even have had some supporters dreaming of catching Hearts in third, but Houston shot down suggestions that the now 12-point gap could be closed.
Instead he heaped praise on his men for, thus far, brilliantly negotiating their packed March programme.
Two goals from Johnny Russell on 83 and 93 minutes gave them the three points, with Houston joking that his players must have been getting some extra help.
“I don’t know where they get the energy from,” he said. “There is drug testing going on just now by the SFA and I think they should test all our boys because I don’t know how they do it.
“The energy levels and fitness levels are fantastic.”
He added, “We got two great goals from Johnny Russell and we have just signed him up on a new contract and you know why.
“I don’t want to pick out individuals, though, because we worked ever so hard as a team and I thought we were brilliant in the second half.”Jambos ‘best of the rest’Asked if United could go the extra mile and catch the Jam Tarts, he wasn’t convinced.
Houston said, “I am not even thinking about that and I couldn’t even tell you how many points Hearts are above us.
“I don’t think we are capable of catching them because they are a good team and will pick up a lot of points between now and the end of the season.”
He added, “I don’t know if Hearts will split the Old Firm but they have been the best of the rest this season and I have no problem in saying that.
“I am just happy to win tonight and I don’t want to look too far forward.”
Hearts boss Jim Jefferies thought the match had been heading for a goalless draw and was annoyed at the concession of the first goal in particular.
“It looked like it had 0-0 written all over it,” he said.
“Not many chances were created tonight and it was a tough tussle.
“We shot ourselves in the foot at a routine free-kick. At that stage you need to make there are no free headers but one of the smallest players on the park punished us.
“The second goal was immaterial really because we were pushing forward at the time looking for an equaliser.”
Tangerines boss Peter Houston was delighted with the night’s work a win that means they are unbeaten in seven games.
The result must even have had some supporters dreaming of catching Hearts in third, but Houston shot down suggestions that the now 12-point gap could be closed.
Instead he heaped praise on his men for, thus far, brilliantly negotiating their packed March programme.
Two goals from Johnny Russell on 83 and 93 minutes gave them the three points, with Houston joking that his players must have been getting some extra help.
“I don’t know where they get the energy from,” he said. “There is drug testing going on just now by the SFA and I think they should test all our boys because I don’t know how they do it.
“The energy levels and fitness levels are fantastic.”
He added, “We got two great goals from Johnny Russell and we have just signed him up on a new contract and you know why.
“I don’t want to pick out individuals, though, because we worked ever so hard as a team and I thought we were brilliant in the second half.”Jambos ‘best of the rest’Asked if United could go the extra mile and catch the Jam Tarts, he wasn’t convinced.
Houston said, “I am not even thinking about that and I couldn’t even tell you how many points Hearts are above us.
“I don’t think we are capable of catching them because they are a good team and will pick up a lot of points between now and the end of the season.”
He added, “I don’t know if Hearts will split the Old Firm but they have been the best of the rest this season and I have no problem in saying that.
“I am just happy to win tonight and I don’t want to look too far forward.”
Hearts boss Jim Jefferies thought the match had been heading for a goalless draw and was annoyed at the concession of the first goal in particular.
“It looked like it had 0-0 written all over it,” he said.
“Not many chances were created tonight and it was a tough tussle.
“We shot ourselves in the foot at a routine free-kick. At that stage you need to make there are no free headers but one of the smallest players on the park punished us.
“The second goal was immaterial really because we were pushing forward at the time looking for an equaliser.”
Tangerines boss Peter Houston was delighted with the night’s work a win that means they are unbeaten in seven games.
The result must even have had some supporters dreaming of catching Hearts in third, but Houston shot down suggestions that the now 12-point gap could be closed.
Instead he heaped praise on his men for, thus far, brilliantly negotiating their packed March programme.
Two goals from Johnny Russell on 83 and 93 minutes gave them the three points, with Houston joking that his players must have been getting some extra help.
“I don’t know where they get the energy from,” he said. “There is drug testing going on just now by the SFA and I think they should test all our boys because I don’t know how they do it.
“The energy levels and fitness levels are fantastic.”
He added, “We got two great goals from Johnny Russell and we have just signed him up on a new contract and you know why.
“I don’t want to pick out individuals, though, because we worked ever so hard as a team and I thought we were brilliant in the second half.”Jambos ‘best of the rest’Asked if United could go the extra mile and catch the Jam Tarts, he wasn’t convinced.
Houston said, “I am not even thinking about that and I couldn’t even tell you how many points Hearts are above us.
“I don’t think we are capable of catching them because they are a good team and will pick up a lot of points between now and the end of the season.”
He added, “I don’t know if Hearts will split the Old Firm but they have been the best of the rest this season and I have no problem in saying that.
“I am just happy to win tonight and I don’t want to look too far forward.”
Hearts boss Jim Jefferies thought the match had been heading for a goalless draw and was annoyed at the concession of the first goal in particular.
“It looked like it had 0-0 written all over it,” he said.
“Not many chances were created tonight and it was a tough tussle.
“We shot ourselves in the foot at a routine free-kick. At that stage you need to make there are no free headers but one of the smallest players on the park punished us.
“The second goal was immaterial really because we were pushing forward at the time looking for an equaliser.”
Tangerines boss Peter Houston was delighted with the night’s work a win that means they are unbeaten in seven games.
The result must even have had some supporters dreaming of catching Hearts in third, but Houston shot down suggestions that the now 12-point gap could be closed.
Instead he heaped praise on his men for, thus far, brilliantly negotiating their packed March programme.
Two goals from Johnny Russell on 83 and 93 minutes gave them the three points, with Houston joking that his players must have been getting some extra help.
“I don’t know where they get the energy from,” he said. “There is drug testing going on just now by the SFA and I think they should test all our boys because I don’t know how they do it.
“The energy levels and fitness levels are fantastic.”
He added, “We got two great goals from Johnny Russell and we have just signed him up on a new contract and you know why.
“I don’t want to pick out individuals, though, because we worked ever so hard as a team and I thought we were brilliant in the second half.”Jambos ‘best of the rest’Asked if United could go the extra mile and catch the Jam Tarts, he wasn’t convinced.
Houston said, “I am not even thinking about that and I couldn’t even tell you how many points Hearts are above us.
“I don’t think we are capable of catching them because they are a good team and will pick up a lot of points between now and the end of the season.”
He added, “I don’t know if Hearts will split the Old Firm but they have been the best of the rest this season and I have no problem in saying that.
“I am just happy to win tonight and I don’t want to look too far forward.”
Hearts boss Jim Jefferies thought the match had been heading for a goalless draw and was annoyed at the concession of the first goal in particular.
“It looked like it had 0-0 written all over it,” he said.
“Not many chances were created tonight and it was a tough tussle.
“We shot ourselves in the foot at a routine free-kick. At that stage you need to make there are no free headers but one of the smallest players on the park punished us.
“The second goal was immaterial really because we were pushing forward at the time looking for an equaliser.”