Hearts upped their bid to qualify for Europe through the Scottish Premier League with a comfortable 3-1 win at Tynecastle to leave rock-bottom Dundee United with just one league win in the year 2000.

Craig Levein's side made a very positive start to this festive fixture with Colin Cameron testing United goalkeeper Alan Combe as early as the first minute.

They did not have to wait long for the breakthrough and it came via a cool finish by the Scotland midfielder.

Andy Kirk played a neat ball to Cameron, who did the rest when after driving forward through the centre he shot easily past Combe from 10 yards.

Hearts continued the early pressure. Scott Severin tried a 25-yard shot on nine minutes which flew just over the top.

On 12 minutes Severin drove the ball into the box and Hearts striker Gary McSwegan slammed a shot against Combe's left post from only six yards.

United appeared to be really struggling with the forced re-jigging of their defence with centre-half Jim Lauchlan missing through suspension.

United went very close though on 16 minutes when Charlie Miller sent a glancing header inches past from Neil Heaney's cross.

Then on 19 minutes Heaney scored a nightmare own goal when he dived full length to head Steve Fulton's cross into his own net.

United grabbed a lifeline courtesy of a 25-yard shot from Hasney Aljofree on 26 minutes.

Miller's free-kick had been charged down then Aljofree sent the rebound from 25 yards into the bottom left corner.

United subbed Heaney for Craig Easton on 34 minutes as boss Alex Smith tried desperately to change the game's pattern.

Hearts went very close in the dying seconds of the first half when Combe made a diving save to stop Cameron's net-bound header after a Fulton cross.

Within a few minutes of the second half United had received two yellow cards for two late tackles the second of these on 51 minutes for Derek Lilley was destined to become more costly.

Hearts went close again a few more times with Combe making a couple of good saves from Cameron and then McSwegan.

Kirk got beyond the defence only to shoot at Combe then at the other end Miller drove a 20-yard shot just wide.

With United still in the match all of their effort came undone in the space of a fatal 30 seconds.

Firstly Lilley received a second booking and as a consequence an ordering off and then McSwegan sent a powerful 20-yard shot home to make it 3-1.

Hearts continued to press and if anything the 3-1 scoreline flattered the visitors.