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Smith (46), Clark (57, pen) HEARTS 2
Boyce (1), Halkett (81)
Robbie Neilson admitted he had never experienced anything quite like it as his team had to make no fewer than five changes because of injuries during the pulsating draw with Dundee United at Tannadice.
Gary Mackay-steven, Cammy Delvin, Alex Cochrane, John Souttar and Nate Atkinson all had to be replaced during the match with another sub Josh Ginnelly also crocked at the end of the contest.
Hearts boss Neilson was just relieved to have taken a point considering the disruption during the game.
He said: “I’ve never been involved in something like this in my 25 years in football. It was unbelievable. We started the game really well and then we got injury after injury after injury.
“For us to fight back and get a point, I’m delighted. The whole continuity of the team altered.
“Andy Halliday came on,
started at right-back then right wing-back, left-back, left wing-back, central midfield. Boycie was the same, moving everywhere. Peter Haring dropped to centre-half.
“Every sub was an injury. Gary came off then we had to put a defender on.
“It made it difficult but we know how we have to play. We did all right, but not enough to win the game.
“There were that many changes but we dug out a point. We’ve got seven points from a tough week.”
There was a breathless start to the game with United on the attack from the off with Liam Smith bursting down the right flank before cutting the ball back to Nicky Clark whose shot was blocked and then gathered by Craig Gordon.
The keeper quickly launched a counter-attack, throwing the ball out to Barrie Mckay who passed to Gary Mackay-steven with the winger then finding Boyce who produced a superb finish off the inside of the post with barely 52 seconds on the clock.
Mackay-steven’s day was over just seven minutes later when he had to go off injured to be replaced by Alex Cochrane.
There was another big scare for United in the 26th minute when goalie Benji Siegrist had to make an instinctive stop to prevent an own goal by Ilmari
Niskanen, then immediately after, Hearts Ellis Simms had a chance but blasted over.
The Jam Tarts were forced to make another substitution with Cammy Devlin limping off to be replaced by Peter Haring.
And incredibly, Hearts had to make their third replacement of the half with sub Cochrane having to be led off looking groggy to be replaced by Andy Halliday.
United were forced to make an early change of their own with injured skipper Ryan Edwards going off and youngster Lewis Neilson coming on.
The fans had just taken their seats after the break when United scored a stunning equaliser with Smith unleashing an unstoppable 25-yard shot past Gordon and into the top corner of the net.
And United turned the game on its head in the 57th minute when Souttar felled Clark on the edge of the Hearts box with a clumsy challenge and referee Willie Collum pointed to the spot.
Clark dusted himself down and kept his composure to fire low past the despairing dive of Gordon.
However, this pulsating contest had another twist in the 81st minute when Mckay swung a corner in from the right with Halkett rising highest to head past Siegrist.