9th February 2022 Hearts 1 Dundee 2

Another midweek fixture at Tynecastle with my double issue programmme, covering tonight’s game and Saturdays cup tie against Livingston, arriving in the post this morning. I left home around 19.00 for the short walk to the ground arriving after about fifteen minutes. Covid checking continues and I showed the stewards my pass before heading to the turnstiles. My ticket did not work in the first turnstile I entered so I moved to the next turnstile and got through. I mentioned the problem to the steward inside the turnstile area and his responses was ‘So you got in ok’. Customer care personified ? I headed to my seat in the Main Stand to watch the sides warming up.

Hearts had played Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday and after a fair start fell apart when Rangers scored a second goal around the hour mark. Without Michael Smith, John Souttar and Craig Halkett the defence was seriously under strength and Rangers finally won 5-0. Souttar returned to the side tonight after injury with Andy Halliday, Peter Haring and Ellis Simms also moving into the starting line-up. Dundee are currently bottom of the SPL and lost former Hibs strikers Leigh Griffiths and Jason Cumming in the recent transfer window. Zak Rudden has moved from Patrick Thistle as a replacement up front and is hoping veteran midfielder Charlie Adam can provide him with some chances. Ian Lawlor, signed from Doncaster, made his first league start for Dundee in goal with former Hears player Jordan McGhee playing in central defence. 

Hearts started the game well and had an early chance when Lawlor came out to gather a high cross from McKay on the edge of the six yard box. While he clutched the ball initially he then dropped it. Luckily for Dundee he dropped it over his shoulder and was able to turn and grab the ball before any Hearts forward could react. Hearts first shot at goal game from Halliday just outside the penalty area. His shot failed to trouble the keeper at is hit team mate Liam Boyce in the face and he fell in the penalty box. To add insult to injury the linesman flagged for offside against Boyce. McKay was looking lively and he forced Lawlor into another save from a low shot. Hearts went ahead in twenty-one minutes. Souttar found McKay just inside his own half with an excellent forward pass. The winger took off towards the Dundee goal and then on the edge of the penalty area sent a pass to Simms on his right. The striker took the ball into the area and shot into the far corner of the net through the legs off Lawlor. McKay almost doubled the lead when he beat the Dundee offside trap to a Haring pass. As Lawlor came out of his goal McKay chipped the ball over him towards the net but Dundee defender Ryan Sweeney got back to clear the ball off the goal-line. 

The talk at halftime was how many Hearts would score as everyone felt that having dominated the first half this would continue in the second. However Dundee equalised in fifty-one minutes when Danny Mullen beat Haring to a pass inside the penalty area. Mullen headed towards the bye-line and tried a shot from about five yards. The ball deflected of the covering Toby Sibbick at the near post and flew into the top of the net for an own goal equaliser. Simms had a chance to put Hearts ahead almost immediately afterwards but his shot from the right hand side of the penalty area was well saved by Lawlor. Lawlor then did well to touch a McKay cross away from goal before it reached Boyce. Hearts brought on Josh Ginnlly and Ben Woodburn in an effort to get another goal but it seemed the changes had weaken rather than strengthened the side as Dundee seemed more comfortable in defence despite Hearts having more possession. In seventy-eight minutes Dundee went ahead. Hearts lost the ball in midfield and a cross from Dundee substitute Niall McGinn saw Souttar block Max Anderson with an excellent tackle. The ball broke back to Main on the right and he hit a low cross to the edge of the six yard box for Paul Mullen to slide in ahead of Taylor Moore and score. Hearts then brought on Gary Mackay-Steven and now had three wingers on the park in an effort to equalise but to no avail. Moore came close in the last of four minutes of injury time when Lawlor pushed his header way for another fruitless corner before the referee blew the final whistle. 

As I walked home I reflected that I have never liked Dundee as a side. Their 7-1 win at Tynecastle in 1965 cost Hearts the league title, as did their 2-0 at Dens Park in 1986. When added to their change of mind in the voting to end the 2019/2020 season and award placings on points for game costing Hearts their place in the SPL I think I have sufficient reason to dislike them. However tonights result was not due to Dundee being the better side but instead was  due to Hearts being unable to take advantage of their possession and turn it into a comfortable victory. Both Dundee's goals can, in addition, be attributed to Hearts defensive frailties. Robbie Neilson needs to decide how he can bring the team back to their early season form before the cutie against Livingston on Saturday and the remainder of the season. While Hearts still have a commanding lead over other sides looking to qualify for Europe from third place in the SPL a continuance of the the form since the winter break could erode this advantage. 

Teams

Hearts: Gordon, Moore, Halliday, Souttar, Sibbick, Kingsley, McKay, Baningime, Boyce,  Haring, Simms,  

Subs: Ginnelly, Woodburn, Mackay-Steven

Dundee: Lawlor, Kerr, Fontaine, Sweeeney, McGhee, Byrne, Mullen, Mulligan, McMullan, Rudden, Adam. 

Subs: Anderson, McGinn