United Boss Slams 'Joke' Defending From His Team
Dundee United Stay 10 points adrift after Tynecastle loss.
Mixu Paatelainen has warned his Dundee United side they will be punished again in Saturday's derby clash if they repeat the 'joke' defending that handed Hearts a 3-2 victory at Tynecastle.
The Tannadice outfit were a goal up inside 90 seconds in Gorgie thanks to a Billy McKay penalty. But another two mistakes from goalkeeper Michal Szromnik - who cost his side victory against Inverness at the weekend - saw Hearts hit back.
Gavin Reilly fired home from a corner after the young Pole flapped at a Sam Nicholson cross, while the stopper looked foolish once more as he pushed Prince Buaben's harmless strike into his own net. Osman Sow tucked away a spot-kick for the hosts but Scott Fraser pulled one back for United just before half-time with a fortuitous free-kick.
Their hopes, however, were hit again by Mark Durnan's red card just seconds later after a last-man foul on Reilly. The defeat leaves Paatelainen's team 10 points adrift at the bottom of the table ahead of their meeting with city rivals Dundee.
The Finn hopes to have new goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima available for the Dens Park fixture after he was finally given the green light to sign this week. But the boss insists even the Japanese World Cup stopper will not be able to help his side if they do not improve at the back.
Paatelainen - who also saw defender Callum Morris ruled out for up to six weeks after straining knee ligaments - said: “The goals we conceded were jokes again. Man marking at a corner kick, as much as we have spoken about that and practised that to make sure everyone knows their jobs, that cost us. The goal that the keeper parries into our own net, we need to avoid goals like that. I don't want to say anything else. So I am disappointed. If we defend sloppily against Dundee this weekend they will punish us. That has been the trend and people expect that - we need to do otherwise.''
Hearts stay third but move to within seven points of co-leaders Aberdeen and Celtic, while they have a five-point advantage on fourth-placed St Johnstone. Jambos head coach Robbie Neilson said: It was a great night for us. St Johnstone got beat and Aberdeen drew and that lifts us up the league a wee bit, a wee bit closer to Aberdeen and a wee bit further away from St Johnstone and now we go into a tough game on Saturday against Kilmarnock. We lost a goal at the start of the game but that was the best time to lose it and we responded really well.''