23rd January 2019 Hearts v Dundee. 1-2
First SPFL match after the winter break. Only the SPFL would choose the coldest night of winter to restart the season ! Left the house around 19.00 for 19.45 kick-off and arrived at Tynecastle about 19.15. It was freezing cold and I went for a pie and a coffee to help warm me up. As I was walking away from the kiosk I again met Jim, the ex-newsagent, who I had last seem at Ainslie Park on Saturday. I had not seem him for at least six years but now twice in five days. We had a chat about Saturday's game and both agreed that Annan's David Wilson will never hit a better goal than the one he scored on Saturday.
Hearts made two changes from Sunday’s side. Demetri Mitchell came in for Ben Garuccio at left back and Aidan Keena made his first full appearance (after returning from a loan spell at Dunfermline) replacing the suspended Steen Naismith. Dundee are currently struggling in the relegation zone and manager Jim McIntyre is trying to reshape his team during the transfer window and there were a number of unfamiliar names in the side. Kenny Miller, formerly with Hibs, Rangers, Wolves, Celtic and Livingston, was won the bench. I have never liked Dundee, ever since they prevented Hearts winning the League in1986, and would be pleased to see them go down.
The first chance fell to Dundee and Colin Doyle did well to push a shot around the post. Hearts managed there first shot on target after about twenty minutes when Arnaud Djoum's shot was pushed away by Seny Dieng in the Dundee goal. Hearts David Vanecek was booked after what seem to me an innocuous clash with a Dundee defender near the halfway line. Dundee took the lead after twenty-four minutes when Vanecek lost the ball in a challenge by Generseric Kusanga just inside the Hearts half. The centre-half ran towards the goal and played a one two with Andrew Nelson on the edge of the penalty box. His return pass found Kusanga clear around fifteen yards from goal where he shot past Doyle to put Dundee ahead. Minutes later Hearts manager Craig Levein signalled to take off Vanecek who was replaced by Steven MacLean. Levein told the press after the game that Vanecek was taken off as he was playing rubbish and did not appear to be fit. Not sure that this will increase Vanecek’s motivation to perform better. Hearts however equalised five minutes from Halftime after Mitchell was taken down outside the penalty box on the lefthand side of the pitch. Olly Lee took the free-kick and his cross into the box was deflected into the box of the head of Dundee defender Jesse Curran. The stadium announcer gave the goal to Lee but to me it looked like a clear own goal.
At the start of the second half Hearts had a chance when Calumn Morrison went down the right wing and fired in a shot that Dieng turned round the post. Keena then had a good chance when he was sent clear but shot high over the bar from just outside the penalty box. Clare set up a chance for Maclean after a run down the wing but the striker could not get a touch to put the ball into the net. In sixty two minutes Dundee took the lead when Craig Curran gathered the ball after Conor Shaughnessy slipped and cut it back to Nelson who shot low past Doyle into the net. Hearts brought on John Souttar, back from Injury, and Jake Mulraney before the end of the game and despite a lot of possession did not look like getting an equaliser. I could not understand why Levein took of Morrison, a winger, and replace him by Souttar, a central defender, when this was a game Hearts were looking to win. All in all Hearts performance was a shambles and showed that without Steven Naismith the side lacks imagination and fight. I hate to think how the team will fare next season if Naismith does not sign a new contract. The only players I would give pass-marks to for this performance are Djoum, who is out of contract at the end of the season and will be looking to impress possible new clubs, and Keena who looked lively on his first start.
After the game I walked home in a bad mood and took the dog out for a walk.
Hearts made two changes from Sunday’s side. Demetri Mitchell came in for Ben Garuccio at left back and Aidan Keena made his first full appearance (after returning from a loan spell at Dunfermline) replacing the suspended Steen Naismith. Dundee are currently struggling in the relegation zone and manager Jim McIntyre is trying to reshape his team during the transfer window and there were a number of unfamiliar names in the side. Kenny Miller, formerly with Hibs, Rangers, Wolves, Celtic and Livingston, was won the bench. I have never liked Dundee, ever since they prevented Hearts winning the League in1986, and would be pleased to see them go down.
The first chance fell to Dundee and Colin Doyle did well to push a shot around the post. Hearts managed there first shot on target after about twenty minutes when Arnaud Djoum's shot was pushed away by Seny Dieng in the Dundee goal. Hearts David Vanecek was booked after what seem to me an innocuous clash with a Dundee defender near the halfway line. Dundee took the lead after twenty-four minutes when Vanecek lost the ball in a challenge by Generseric Kusanga just inside the Hearts half. The centre-half ran towards the goal and played a one two with Andrew Nelson on the edge of the penalty box. His return pass found Kusanga clear around fifteen yards from goal where he shot past Doyle to put Dundee ahead. Minutes later Hearts manager Craig Levein signalled to take off Vanecek who was replaced by Steven MacLean. Levein told the press after the game that Vanecek was taken off as he was playing rubbish and did not appear to be fit. Not sure that this will increase Vanecek’s motivation to perform better. Hearts however equalised five minutes from Halftime after Mitchell was taken down outside the penalty box on the lefthand side of the pitch. Olly Lee took the free-kick and his cross into the box was deflected into the box of the head of Dundee defender Jesse Curran. The stadium announcer gave the goal to Lee but to me it looked like a clear own goal.
At the start of the second half Hearts had a chance when Calumn Morrison went down the right wing and fired in a shot that Dieng turned round the post. Keena then had a good chance when he was sent clear but shot high over the bar from just outside the penalty box. Clare set up a chance for Maclean after a run down the wing but the striker could not get a touch to put the ball into the net. In sixty two minutes Dundee took the lead when Craig Curran gathered the ball after Conor Shaughnessy slipped and cut it back to Nelson who shot low past Doyle into the net. Hearts brought on John Souttar, back from Injury, and Jake Mulraney before the end of the game and despite a lot of possession did not look like getting an equaliser. I could not understand why Levein took of Morrison, a winger, and replace him by Souttar, a central defender, when this was a game Hearts were looking to win. All in all Hearts performance was a shambles and showed that without Steven Naismith the side lacks imagination and fight. I hate to think how the team will fare next season if Naismith does not sign a new contract. The only players I would give pass-marks to for this performance are Djoum, who is out of contract at the end of the season and will be looking to impress possible new clubs, and Keena who looked lively on his first start.
After the game I walked home in a bad mood and took the dog out for a walk.
Teams
Hearts: Doyle, Smith, Shaughnessy, Berra, Lee, Clare, Djoum, Mitchell, Vanecek, Keena, Morrison.
Subs: MacLean, Souttar, Mulraney
Dundee: DIeng, Kerr, Ralph, Woods, Kusunga, Inniss, Dales, McGowan, Nelson, C. Curran, J. Curran.
Subs: Moore, Miller, Kallman.
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