Dundee crashed to a 6-0 defeat at home to Hearts this afternoon. Lawrence Shankland and Blair Spittal put the Jam Tarts two goals ahead at half time. Elton Kabunga scored twice in the second half, with Musa Drammeh and Kenneth Vargas completing the scoring.
Dundee made two changes to the team that won the cup derby. Josh Mulligan returned from illness and Imari Samuels made his first start. They replaced Ethan Ingram and Fin Robertson.
The game started in an open and entertaining fashion. Both teams were moving well and getting the ball forward quickly with smart passes rather than long balls.
Hearts had the first chance when Blair Spittal’s cross was met by Lawrence Shankland’s near post header but Trevor Carson saved well.
An even game was utterly transformed by Hearts scoring twice within two minutes. After 15 minutes Spittal’s low cross from the left found SHANKLAND in space 15 yards out. He took a touch before scoring with a low shot across Carson.
In Hearts’ next attack the Dee defence couldn’t clear Musa Dremmeh’s cross from the right. The ball fell to SPITTAL. He had all the space and time he wanted to set up his shot which he smashed into the top corner.
The two easy goals stunned Dundee and there was never a hint of any recovery from that setback. Hearts were able to take charge and run the game the way they wanted.
In the last 15 minutes of the first half Dundee managed to put together a few attacks, but the only worthwhile chance came after 45 minutes. Lyall Cameron sent Mulligan down the right and his cross was perfect for Simon Murray in front of goal. Sadly Murray headed straight at Craig Gordon.
Tony Docherty made two changes at half time. Fin Robertson and Seb Palmer-Houlden came on for Imari Samuels and Cesar Garza. Robertson was a straight replacement at left wing back, but Palmer-Houlden played up front with Murray, Lyall Cameron taking up a more central role, and Seun Adewumi behind the front two.
The Dark Blues desperately needed a good start to the second half, but they were undone by a ruthlessly executed goal on the break. With Dundee pushing forward Hearts won possession and Shankland’s pass sent KABUNGA away down the right from the half-way line. The Belgian striker was too fast for Clark Robertson, kept going, cut inside and kept his cool to shoot past Carson.
The third goal killed any momentum the Dark Blues were hoping to build after half time and settled the game. Little happened for the next 15 minutes as Hearts managed the game comfortably with Dundee unable to offer any threat.
Midway through the half Hearts were gifted a fourth goal. A high free from the half-way line dropped into the penalty area, a straightforward keeper’s ball. Carson fumbled, and DREMMEH had an open goal to make it 4-0.
Ziyad Larkeche came on for Adewumi after 70 minutes. The Frenchman’s welcome reappearance after his lengthy absence through injury was as close as we came to a cheerful moment in a miserable afternoon.
The fifth goal came in the 77th minute, and was perhaps the best goal of the game. James Penrice’s low corner to the near post was flicked back into space by substitute Kenneth Vargas and KABUNGA volleyed home from 12 yards.
Goal number six arrived deep into injury time. Yet again the Dark Blues gave the ball away in midfield with an absence of cover behind them. Two Hearts substitutes had no trouble punishing the Dee’s sloppiness. Alan Forrest sent Vargas in to shoot past Carson.
Today Dundee defended badly, created little in midfield while offering little protection to the defence, and the attack was ineffective throughout. The players were clearly trying hard, but the collapse in the team’s performance after Hearts opened the scoring was alarming.
The bright confidence with which the team approached the game vanished with Hearts two early goals and the mistakes and poor decisions unfolded relentlessly. The performance was so poor that Trevor Carson was probably Dundee’s best player despite his bad mistake for the fourth goal.
This Dundee team is much better than we saw today, but they could hardly have been more off form in this defeat. The scoreline tells the full story.
Dundee FC 3-4-2-1
Carson (c)
Astley, Clark Robertson, Donnelly
Mulligan, Sylla, Garza (Palmer-Houlden at half time), Samuels (Fin Robertson at half time)
Cameron, Adewumi (Larkeche 70)
Murray (Tiffoneu 84)
Unused subs: McCracken (gk), Ingram, Lopez, Portales.
Booked: Samuels (foul on Drammeh).
Heart of Midlothian 4-4-2
Gordon
Forester, Neilson (Steinwender 83), McCart, Penrice
Drammeh (Vargas 71), Baningime, Devlin, Spittal (Forrest 71)
Kabangu (Dhanda 79), Shankland (Wilson 79)
Unused subs: Clark (gk), Steinwender, Boateng, Taylor.
Goals: Shankland (15), Spittal (17), Kabunga (51, 77), Drammeh (67), Vargas (90+2).
Booked: none.
Referee: Lloyd Wilson. Assistants: Chris Rae, Craig Ferguson. VAR: Nick Walsh.
Attendance: 7,458.
Report: James Christie.
