Dundee went down to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Hearts in Edinburgh this afternoon. A tense and scrappy contest was settled by Oisin McEntee’s header in the 77th minute. The Dark Blues coped well with Hearts’ attacking but didn’t carry enough goal threat themselves. Frankie Kent, the Jam Tarts’ central defender, picked up a late red card, but the home side hung on to grind out a crucial win in their title challenge.
Steven Pressley made four changes to the Dee’s starting line-up. Fin Robertson and Joe Westley came into the midfield in the place of Yan Dhanda, who was unavailable to play against his parent club, and Joel Cotterill, who was on the bench. Brad Halliday was at right back with Drey Wright switching to left back, replacing Imari Samuels, who was a substitute. Simon Murray was also named as a sub with Ash Hay starting in attack.
The first half might have been interesting from a tactical point of view as Hearts tried and failed to break down Dundee, but there was nothing to thrill the crowd. Neither side could put their game together to set up worthwhile chances. Any video editor putting together a highlights package would have struggled to find highlights.
Hearts had a couple of dangerous moments, neither of which led to a shot. The best was Claudio Braga’s skillful run into the penalty area but that ended with a tackle breaking off him and out for a goal kick.
The only moments when a goal was threatened in the first half came at either end in added time before the interval. A long ball through the middle was flicked on by Braga to send Pierre Landry Kaboré clear but his early attempt to lob Jon McCracken sailed high and wide by several yards into the stand.
At the very end of the half Dundee broke and Tony Yogane was fouled by Frankie Kent a yard outside the Hearts penalty area. Fin Robertson and Joe Westley worked a clever short free kick but Westley’s shot was well saved by Alexander Schwolow.
The second half brought added tension rather than greater excitement. Hearts did more of the attacking but it was all nervy and optimistic rather than calm and controlled.
Dundee handled the attacking well without allowing Hearts any significant chances in open play but the Dark Blues couldn’t create any goal threat themselves. The front four were all replaced midway through the second half. Congreve, Westley, Yogane and Hay made way for Scott Wright, Cotterill, Reilly and Murray.
The changes had little impact. There was the occasional flash of promise, but nothing that gave home keeper Schwolow any difficulty.
Aside from Dundee’s free kick at the end of the first half the set pieces from both sides had been poor, with the corners particularly ineffective. That changed when Hearts scored the only goal in the 77th minute. Marc Leonard’s free kick from deep in midfield found Oisin MCENTEE and Jon McCracken couldn’t keep out his powerful header from 10 yards. After defending so well it was disappointing to concede such a simple goal.
The Dark Blues tried to get back into the game and put Hearts under pressure at the end. Added time was particularly fraught for the home when central defender Frankie Kent was given a second yellow card and then a red in the 91st minute.
Hearts hung on, however, and the nearest thing to another goal came at the end when McCracken went up for a corner and Hearts broke clear. Lawrence Shankland shot from the halfway line with McCracken struggling to cover, but his effort sailed wide.
Dundee have attacked fluently and with conviction in recent weeks, and even when the team was not clicking they always looking capable of grabbing a goal. It didn’t work out today and just one slip-up in defence was enough to bring defeat. The Dark Blues made Hearts work hard for their win and it was a close run game. In the end, however, the Dee couldn’t do quite enough to deserve a point.
Hearts 4-4-2
Schwolow
Altena (Spittal 54), Kent, Steinwender, McCart
McEntee, Devlin (Baningime 76), Leonard, Kyziridis (Forrest 85)
Braga (Chesnokov 85), Kaboré (Shankland 54)
Unused subs: Fulton (gk), Borchgrevink, Kerjota, Mato.
Goal: McEntee (77).
Booked: Kent (fouls on Yogane and Reilly), Leonard (foul on Jones).
Sent off: Kent (two yellows).
Dundee 4-2-3-1
Jon McCracken
Brad Halliday, Ryan Astley, Luke Graham, Drey Wright
Ethan Hamilton (c), Fin Robertson (Callum Jones 76)
Cameron Congreve (Scott Wrigh 71), Joe Westley (Joel Cotterill 63), Tony Yogane (Charlie Reilly 63)
Ash Hay (Simon Murray 71)
Unused substitutes: Kieran O’Hara (gk), Billy Koumetio, Imari Samuels, Joe Bevan.
Booked: Congreve (foul on Leonard), Reilly (foul on Leonard).
Attendance: 18,827
Referee: Don Robertson. Assistants: Ross Macleod, Colin Drummond. VAR: John Beaton/ Assistant VAR: Calum Scott.
Report: James Christie.
