He may have celebrated his goal with his own version of the birdie dance but there was nothing chicken-like about Gavin Gunning’s display at Tynecastle on Saturday.
United will now exit February unbeaten for the month four wins and a draw and they are certainly in the running for yet another European qualification.
”I am not saying we will catch Motherwell in third spot but we will give it a go,” said Gunning. ”We want to consolidate our position in the top six first but now we are looking up and not down.
”Everyone is going for top six and there is a real battle. I would love to have Europe on my CV. That is where the top players play and I haven’t been involved there before in my career. It would be great to test myself against the really top players.”
United boss Peter Houston will experience football on the continent this week as he jets off to Slovenia to assist Scotland manager Craig Levein at Wednesday’s friendly in Koper. He will do so safe in the knowledge that the Tangerines, who don’t play until a week today at home to Inverness Caley Thisle, look to be in great shape as they approach the decisive stage of the season.
”I maybe won’t get anyone on my back, eh!” said Houston. ”No, the fact that we don’t play until a week on Monday is a help as well. It will be good to go away after your team has been pulling off some decent results.”
Houston agreed with Gunning that it wasn’t a top-drawer United display.
”It’s a brilliant result but we can play better, definitely,” he added. ”We went in 1-0 at half-time and hadn’t really done an awful lot in the game.
”We kept our shape very well and young Gavin Gunning is beginning to look like a leader at the back, winning so many headers.
”Our midfield, who did so well against Kilmarnock the other night there, had to adapt to what was a different type of game.
”We were maybe a wee bit leggy late on but the players stuck with it. That’s a massive three points for us because first and foremost we want to get a top-six finish.”
Houston added: ”We have shut the door at the back and we are always a threat going forward. And that is now 17 goals for Jon Daly that says a lot for the big man. It would be magnificent if he could get up to 20 goals.
”So overall I was really pleased with the players. It was a hard-earned victory. The other night against Kilmarnock we were magnificent on the ball but this time we hard to work hard off the ball.”
Hearts boss Paulo Sergio’s job, meanwhile, appears to be to dampen down the hopes of supporters who until recently must have been looking forward to third-place finish.
”It is not that I am not ambitious I am just being realistic,” said Sergio. ”Our target since January is to finish in the top six. I have said it before and that is our reality.
”It is not what the history of Hearts deserves, it is not what our great supporters deserve but it is our reality at the moment.”
The Dundee United central defender’s commanding performance at the heart of the defence brought back memories of Andy Webster, the former Tannadice skipper who is now back at Hearts.
That is a compliment indeed for the young Irishman, who was without a doubt the man-of-the-match as United made it five successive wins over the Jam Tarts stretching back into last season.
As well as his heroics in defence, Gunning pitched in with his side’s second goal five minutes from time to add to Jon Daly’s counter just before half-time.
Indeed, the only black mark on an otherwise pristine afternoon’s work from Gunning was the dodgy celebration! He laughed it off and even claimed he had wanted United’s large travelling support to join in the arm-flapping fun.
”The chicken dance was just a bit of banter,” said the Republic of Ireland under-21 international. ”I was wanting the fans to get up and join in with the dance as well. I did it when I scored against St Johnstone and I decided to do it again!”
Gunning was well satisfied with a win that lifted his side over their opponents into fifth spot in the SPL table, rightly pointing out that they didn’t even have to play that well to achieve it.
”It was a good afternoon for us,” he added. ”It was a great result to come to Tynecastle and win and leapfrog Hearts in the table. I didn’t actually think it was our best performance but we dug in and got the result.
”We are a lot more solid than we have been. We have dropped a few points here and there but of late we have been playing really well and getting the rewards for it.”
It may not have been the Tannadice club’s top display this term but it was Gunning’s greatest in a tangerines jersey since joining from Blackburn Rovers.
He seemed to win every header at the back and, not long before he scored at the other end, he blocked brilliantly to prevent Stephen Elliot equalising for Hearts when it seemed certain the striker would do so.
When complimented on the challenge that followed a superb Dusan Pernis stop from Rudi Skacel, Gunning replied: ”Yeah, but it was an even better save from Dusan. He’s got to take a lot of credit for that.”
Gunning, who nodded home a Gary Mackay-Steven corner and could have had another headed goal shortly afterwards, also had praise for his team’s other scorer Jon Daly.
Daly headed in a Barry Douglas cross from the left on 42 minutes to make it 17 for the season and Gunning said: ”Of course, Jon’s goals are good but his link-up play for the team is much better than he is given credit for.
”He brings people into the game and he is a real handful for any team. I fancy him to get to 20 goals this season, definitely. He is someone I look up to. He is a great professional.”
Continued…