AN INJURY-HIT Dundee were unable to see out what would have been a famous Tynecastle win after two late goals continued Hearts’ unbeaten home winning streak.
The Dark Blues had come to Tynecastle for their third game in a week, following a loss against Hibernian and a late draw against St Johnstone.
Having started the game positively, Dundee were once again hit with an injury on the striker front after Joe Westley was knocked unconscious following a clash of heads with Hearts defender Oisin McEntee in the early minutes.
The Englishman, who has started every game this season, had to be stretchered off the pitch by the medical staff with a fractured cheekbone.
As play resumed, it was Dundee who struck first. A long ball from Imari Samuels bypassed the entire Jambos defence, with new signing Bradley FINK winning the foot race. The Swiss delightfully lifted the ball over goalkeeper Beau Reus to celebrate his first Dundee goal and leave Steven Pressley’s men 1-0 up in the seventeenth minute.
Hearts kept pushing, having several chances that were well-marshalled by the centre-back partnership of Ryan Astley and Owen Bevan. A dangerous cross by former Dee Josh McPake was clinically intercepted by Astley, denying Portuguese striker Cláudio Braga what would have been a likely tap-in past Owen Goodman.
Dundee were lucky to end the half with eleven men on the pitch after summer signing Ryan Finnigan’s two-footed challenge was kept to a yellow card. It was to be Finnigan’s final moment of the game, being substituted at half-time following an ankle problem.
His replacement, new loanee Jack Moorhouse, looked a bright spark as Steven Pressley attempted to keep his team on top. Hearts were once again the dominant team of the half but were denied through some brilliant goalkeeping by Goodman.
Dundee’s afternoon struggles continued after Finlay Robertson, who started his first game of the Premiership campaign, went down after twisting his knee off the ball. Following intervention from the medical staff, he too was stretchered off and was replaced by Dundee’s Slovenian summer signing, Žan Bešir.
Another Hearts attack down Dundee’s left-hand side saw a cross by substitute Christian Borchgrevink make contact with Owen Bevan’s arm as the Dundee defender slid to block the pass. A VAR check confirmed the penalty, and BRAGA sent Goodman the wrong way to make it one a piece.
A rash challenge from Bešir in added time was initially cautioned with a yellow card by referee Chris Graham. However, after being sent to the pitch-side screen for a VAR check, the Slovenian was sent off for serious foul play.
With seven-minutes of added time, it proved too much for the Dark Blues. A short corner found Jambos substitute Sabah KERJOTA, whose low driven shot could not be stopped by Goodman.
Dundee will next face Motherwell at Dens Park on 19 September, getting a break following their Premier Sports Cup exit as well as having a game in hand in the Premiership.
Dundee 4-4-2
Owen Goodman
Drey Wright, Ryan Astley, Owen Bevan, Imari Samuels (Charlie Reilly 87)
Finlay Robertson (Žan Bešir 76), Ethan Hamilton (c), Ryan Finnigan (Jack Moorhouse 45), Alan Forrest (Joe Bevan 65)
Joe Westley (Bobby Wales 10), Bradley Fink (Joe Wright 65)
Unused substitutes: Kieran O’Hara (gk), Brad Halliday, Idris Odutayo
Booked: Ryan Finnigan, Imari Samuels, Ethan Hamilton, Alan Forrest
Hearts 4-4-2
Beau Reus
Jordi Altena (Christian Borchgrevink 60), Oisin McEntee (Harry Milne 45), Stuart Findlay, Jamie McCart
Calvin Miller (Sabah Kerjota 60), Laurent Mendy, Tómas Magnússon, Josh McPake
James Wilson, Claudio Braga
Unused substitutes: Ryan Fulton (gk), Pierre Landry Kaboré, Sabri Guendouz, Rogers Mato, Amadou Ba-Sy
Booked: Josh McPake
Report: Tom Wilson.
