Dundee United v Hearts reaction: 22 players finish game shock; Handy Andy Halliday; Milestone for McDonald

Key issues and observations from a remarkable 2-2 draw at Tannadice which saw Hearts made five injury-enforced substitutions – three of them before half-time.

Five subs good, three subs bad

It’s just as well the Premiership club voted to reintroduce five subs in January. It was not a moment too soon for Hearts, who suffered the kind of ill-fortune that comes around once every few decades – perhaps longer.

Fans were racking their brains to remember if they had ever seen anything like the first half at Tannadice, when Hearts were forced to make three injury enforced changes.

Another one was required at half time and then John Souttar made it five when he limped off shortly after conceding a penalty just before the hour mark. United were bloodied too – literally. Skipper Ryan Edwards was helped off with blood gushing from a wound his head after he was hit by Ellis Simms’ flying elbow.

The big Hearts striker was booked but he could easily have seen a red card. Calum Butcher, meanwhile, was fortunate to be only yellow carded after leaving Alex Cochrane in a daze. The United midfielder had already left the same player in a heap with another shuddering challenge minutes earlier. When he was eventually booked, Willie Collum indicated it had been for persistent fouling. Another referee might have sent Butcher off for what looked like two bookable offences. While there was a lot of coming and going, somehow the game finished with 22 players.

Amid the chaos there was food for thought: is the five subs rule change – a currently temporary one extending to the end of the season – worth putting in place for good?

Versatile Halliday proves worth

In retrospect, Andy Halliday might have been better holding off agreeing to that new