Hearts rescue point but lose injured Gordon

Hearts captain and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon was taken off on a stretcher in a bad collision with Steven Fletcher

Lawrence Shankland's late penalty saved a draw for Hearts at Dundee United in a Scottish Premiership game marred by a serious injury to Scotland keeper Craig Gordon.

The visitors had already lost Craig Halkett and Stephen Kingsley to injury early on, before Gordon followed on a stretcher after a horror collision with Fletcher.

Hearts remain fourth after missing the chance to go third with Aberdeen losing away to St Mirren, whilst United stay bottom.

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Hearts' confidence was rocked after only six minutes when Halkett went down, jarring his knee in the turf before being carried from the pitch.

Kye Rowles replaced him and struggled to deal with Fletcher. The striker duly picked the ball out of the sky, gave himself room and half-volleyed the ball past Gordon - courtesy of a deflection off Rowles.

Hearts hit back through an unlikely source. Cammy Devlin slipped the ball into the box to the marauding Smith who finished like any good striker would. It was his first goal since Boxing Day last year.

Then came more drama. Arnaud Djoum was penalised for a handball in the box. Colin Steven had no hesitation, until VAR Alan Muir asked him to look at the pitch-side monitor. It was ruled that the ball struck the falling Djoum's supporting arm, and therefore should not have been given. Ultimately, it wasn't.

United were more clinical at the start of the second half. Glenn Middleton held the ball up well on the edge of the box, teeing off to Levitt who curled comfortably into the bottom corner.

They almost made it three when Fletcher connected to a Middleton cross, but his header was tipped superbly over the bar by Gordon.

The two would collide minutes later in a sickening clash that saw both replaced. The incident was initially given as a United penalty, before being overturned again by Steven.

Hearts pressed for an equaliser and turned to their other talisman - Shankland - who eventually got the chance from the spot when Ross Graham hauled him down in the box.

The number nine stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way, rescuing a point, but it will be scant consolation as they count their injury losses.

Player of the Match - Steven Fletcher

A complete nuisance for United, he troubled Hearts all afternoon and deserved his goal. The Fletcher of old.

Gordon injury overshadows Hearts fightback - analysis

A match in which a bad injury overshadowed what was in fact a great game of football.

Open, free-flowing, both sides absolutely desperate to win. There were chances aplenty. There were scrappy, strong challenges, and a draw is just about a fair result. Both sides might see it as a missed chance.

But post-match thoughts immediately turn to Gordon who left the park on a stretcher. It was nothing more than an accidental, full-blooded, collision and hopefully Fletcher is okay, too.

What's next?

Dundee United host Ross County on Wednesday night, whilst Hearts travel to Perth to take on St Johnstone (both 19:45 GMT).