Hearts 3 - 2 Dundee United

Hearts ended their seven-week wait for Premiership win as Dundee United goalkeeper Michal Szromnik's gifts helped them to a 3-2 Tynecastle triumph.

The Jambos fell behind to a Billy McKay penalty inside the opening 90 seconds but a pair of Szromnik gaffes gave them a lifeline as they hit back with first-half goals from Gavin Reilly, Prince Buaben and Osman Sow.

Basement boys United scored again just before the break when Scott Fraser's free-kick was allowed to bounce past Neil Alexander. Their chances, though, were killed off when Mark Durnan was sent off seconds later.

The Jambos stay third, while the Tangerines, who have collected just five points from the 30 available since Mixu Paatelainen took over, remain 10 points adrift at the foot of the table.

Skipper Alim Ozturk was back for Hearts after three months out injured but there was no sign of Eiji Kawashima in the United ranks despite the Japanese goalkeeper finally getting the green light to sign on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old has returned to the Far East but while Tannadice bosses are hopeful he will be back in Scotland for Saturday's derby clash with Dundee, Paatelainen was forced to again go with Szromnik in Gorgie.

After watching the young Pole's latest nervy display, however, Kawashima's arrival cannot come soon enough for the Finn.

Szromnik nearly cost his team within the first minute when he was caught dribbling outside his box by Sow, with only a Callum Morris tackle preventing the opening goal.

If that was not enough drama for the first 60 seconds, United ran up the park and won a penalty after Juwon Oshaniwa lunged in on Fraser.

McKay tucked away the spot-kick but things quickly headed south for the visitors.

Hearts levelled from a corner - conceded unnecessarily when Szromnik flapped at Sam Nicholson's cross - after 17 minutes as Igor Rossi nodded on Billy King's delivery for Reilly to hook home.

The keeper looked hopeless again nine minutes later as Buaben lined up to shoot. The Ghanaian's strike was straight down Szromnik's throat but with a look of panic across his face he let it slip through his grasp and into the net as Hearts moved ahead.

United's night went from bad to calamitous as they got caught playing out from the back after 30 minutes, with Morris tripping King inside the box. Sow found the net from the spot, even though Szromnik guessed the right way.

The Taysiders clawed one back when a deep Fraser free-kick a minute before half-time crept into the Hearts net but that joy was short-lived as within seconds of the restart Durnan wiped out Reilly on the edge of his own box and earned a straight red from referee Bobby Madden.

Morris was also stretchered off as things went bad to worse for Paatelainen.

United battled bravely after the break but Hearts should have put daylight between the sides. They were forced to hang on in the final moments after Reilly, Nicholson and Sow all failed to convert.