Dundee United v Hearts reaction

Peter Houston claimed Dundee United have performed miracles this season despite their Champions League hopes suffering a blow against Hearts.

The home side forged ahead in the 32nd minute when midfielder Willo Flood fired in a powerful 35-yard drive but three minutes later the visitors were level through a Rudi Skacel header.

In the 65th minute Gary Mackay-Steven regained the lead for United and it looked like Houston's men would go on and complete the clean sweep over the Jambos this season.

However, with seven minute remaining, Tynecastle substitute Arvydas Novikovas, on four minutes earlier for Andrew Driver, made it 2-2 with a powerful drive to keep United behind third-placed Motherwell.

"If you had asked me at the start of the season I would have bitten your hand off for a top-six spot," said Houston.

"We are there and I would now bite your hand off for Europe.

"We have kept four points between us and Hearts, who are sixth, with three games to go.

"Fifth gets a European place (Europa League) and if that bunch of players in the dressing room get a European place it is a huge achievement as far as I am concerned.

"We know what it is like early on in the season, we were struggling to get a fluency and to get people fit.

"So they have worked miracles in my opinion, to go on the run they have gone on since February 5 when we beat Rangers in the cup and I can't praise them highly enough.

"We didn't play at our best but we still got a draw.

"If we get 10 out of 12 points against Hearts next season I will be more than delighted.

"We were ahead twice in the game you expect to hold on but I can't argue that Hearts deserved what they got."

Novikovas promised Hearts fans a better celebration the next time he scores after messing up his double somersault following his late strike.

The 21-year-old Lithuanian said: "The first jump was bad and I think David Templeton was too close so I was scared to do it (second one).

"The next time I promise I will do it properly if I score.

"It was probably the best I have scored in an official game, in friendly games I have scored some good goals.

"But it was a good goal. You must try to change the game when you come on and I did that."

Hearts boss Paulo Sergio, who took Craig Beattie off as a precaution in the first-half after the striker sustained a hamstring injury, blamed poor defending for the loss of two goals but claimed his side still deserved to take all three points.

Sergio said: "The first half was tight with no spaces to play but we lost a very sloppy goal.

"There was a header (from us) to the centre of the pitch and you never should do that but we created two or three good chances and scored one.

"In the second-half it was just Hearts, we were looking to win the game and created five or six chances and then, when we're troubling them, we lost another goal.

"I can't accept a corner that went on the floor all the way to the back and then goes in at the back post, so we were very poor defensively at the moment.

"Then we scored again but it was a disappointment.

"I think we deserved much more than this. We didn't win a point, we lost two but that is football."