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United suffered a demoralising 7-0 annihilation against AZ Alkmaar in their midweek Europa Conference League qualifying tie and that misery was merely compounded in Edinburgh.

Lawrence Shankland scored against his former club in the opening minute before Barrie McKay, Jorge Grant and Josh Ginnelly added further goals in the second half.

Steven Fletcher’s penalty was nothing more than a consolation for the Tayside club as Hearts claimed a timely result before Thursday’s Europa League play-off first leg in Switzerland against FC Zurich.

Supporters were in fine voice at Tynecastle Park as they prepare to return to the European arena for the first time in six years. Two wins and a draw from their first three Premiership fixtures indicates decent form for confronting the Swiss champions.

United made three alterations to their starting line-up from the Netherlands, while Hearts reinstated midfielder Cammy Devlin in place of Peter Haring. Stephen Kingsley’s return as substitute after a niggling injury was warmly welcomed by the Gorgie natives.

Devlin instantly played a pivotal role in the opening goal. He drifted away from Charlie Mulgrew in midfield to collect Liam Boyce’s pass and cross for Shankland drive home a high, close-range finish.

It was the perfect opening after just 42 seconds. Only two important stops by the United goalkeeper Mark Birighitti prevented Shankland and then McKay increasing Hearts’ advantage.

Barrie McKay celebrates with Lawrence Shankland after scoring Hearts' second goal.

The hosts’ accomplished start to this game was underpinned by tactical fluidity as their 4-2-3-1 system quickly flipped to 5-4-1 when out of possession. They sat deeper as the first half progressed, which may be a portent of things to come in Switzerland.

United’s diamond-shaped midfield left them exposed in wide areas and Birighitti punched away Grant’s 20th-minute free-kick. They first tested Craig Gordon through Ryan Edwards’ powerful 30-yard shot.

By the interval, it seemed obvious that Hearts could kill this game with a braver approach rather than retreating so much. They did just that and fashioned a second goal three minutes into the second period.

McKay was allowed time to drift inside from the left and exploited it with a raking right-footed shot from 25 yards. The ball flew past Birighitti’s dive to nestle in the bottom of the net, effectively ending the match as a contest.

Josh Ginnelly added a fourth for Hearts in stoppage time.

A third arrived after 62 minutes when Birighitti failed to hold a relatively tame left-footed effort from Michael Smith. Grant pounced to convert the rebound and celebrate his first goal in maroon.

Birighitti suffered as goals flew past him in Alkmaar and again looked uncertain. However, United reduced the deficit via the penalty spot with 20 minutes remaining. Hearts substitute Gary Mackay-Steven tackled Aziz Behich in the act of shooting and Fletcher confidently stroked the penalty past Gordon.

Substitute Ginnelly sprinted on to Shankland’s pass in stoppage time and rolled his side’s fourth low past Birighitti – the 11th goal United have conceded in three days.

Hearts (4-2-3-1): Gordon; M Smith, Halkett, Rowles, Cochrane (Kingsley 76); Devlin, Grant (Ginnelly 76); Forrest (Mackay-Steven 57), Boyce (Haring 57), McKay (Halliday 76); Shankland.

Dundee United (4-3-1-2): Birighitti; Smith, Edwards, Graham, Behich; Harkes, Mulgrew (Sibbald 52), McGrath; Cudjoe (Fletcher 52); Middleton, Watt.

Referee: Colin Steven.

Attendance: 18,856.

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