Neil Critchley is hoping Hearts’ season will finally take lift-off after they delivered back-to-back wins for the first time.

James Penrice’s goal meant the Jambos claimed consecutive victories after beating Motherwell at home and then United at Tannadice 1-0. It is the first time the Gorgie side have claimed two Premiership wins on the bounce since April and their manager hopes it has his team looking up rather than down.

The Englishman acknowledged: “Yeah, crucial. That was the message to the players before the game that’s the first time we’ve won back-to-back in the league this season and that gives us a good big lift, especially winning here to come away from home which we’ve not done particularly well away from home this season.

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“We’ve had back-to-back 1-0 wins, it’s a great scoreline 1-0, clean sheets and nicking a good goal which Penners did. It should be three wins but I have to stop going on about the Ross County game, I’m still having nightmares about that one.”

Hearts are still second bottom but are eight points clear of stranded St Johnstone and just four points off the top six. Critchley stated: “We just want to keep performing like we did today and if we do that then the results will take care of itself.

“I know the league is really tight, really quite close, congested from ourselves up to maybe six, like you said, so we’ve had an important couple of wins but don’t get too high when you’re in and don’t get too down when you lose. We’re going to Aberdeen next week and that will obviously be another tough game.”

It was a setback to United but they have lost just two in 11 and are still clear in third place. The Jamestown Analytics had kicked into play for Hearts’ January computer, although so far all they have brought in are a former St Johnstone double cup winner and a loan from one of Tony Bloom’s other teams.

Union Saint-Gilloise’s Elton Kabangu had joined on loan although they were still awaiting a work permit while Jamie McCart had come in from Rotherham.

The Hearts fans would have expected more glamorous or eye-catching arrivals. What they were more interested in was getting results to get away from an area of the league where they should never have been.

They travelled to Tannadice on the back of a win over Motherwell and a draw with Ross County. United, in contrast, were very much a team in form. They had lost one game in 10 and were sitting pretty in third place on a fraction of the Jambos’ spending power.

Hearts had the better chances at Tannadice. Blair Spittal cracked a free kick off the bar from 25 yards and Holt made a timely clearance to deny Musa a tap-in.

Goodwin went to make another double change and Hearts managed to get their goal before United were able to settle. Spittal’s cross from the right and it fell to Boyce, who had a fresh air swipe and Forest headed it back to Penrice and he thumped it high past Walton from about 14 yards. It was a fair thump and Critchley didn’t know how his goal hero got on the end of it.

He said: “I’ve said numerous times I think he’s been outstanding. I just love the way he plays football. I think he has a great mentality. He wants to learn, wants to get better, plays with real drive and energy.

“The amount of crosses he put in during the first half from really good positions and then for him to score in the winning... I’m not sure how he got in that position. I know Spitz has crossed it but I’m not sure how Penners has arrived in the box. I’ll have to see it back but it was a great strike and fully deserved for him and the team.”