Simon Murray’s goal late in the first half gave the Dark Blues a priceless three points from a 1-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle in Edinburgh this afternoon. After taking the lead Dundee managed the game superbly to earn a fully deserved victory. A hard-working and solid team performance delighted the passionate travelling supporters who gave the team the standing ovation they had earned at the final whistle.
There were three changes to the Dee starting eleven. Ryan Astley came into the defence at right back, Antonio Portales into central midfield, and Seb Palmer-Houlden into the attack. They replaced the injured Jordan McGhee and Seun Adewumi, and Mo Sylla, who was on the bench.
The first 15 minutes offered little to get excited or stressed about. Hearts had a couple of promising attacks that amounted to nothing. Dundee looked reasonably solid without creating anything in the final third.
Elton Kabangu had the first serious goal attempt when he flashed an angled shot across goal and wide after the Dee defence failed to pick up his run onto Jamie McCart’s pass.
The Dark Blues began to move forward with greater conviction and went close midway through the first half. Ryan Astley nicked the ball off Blair Spittal on the half way line and kept running through the space that opened up. With no challenge from any Hearts player he was allowed to shoot from just inside the penalty area, only for the shot to take a huge deflection off McCart and loop wide.
McCart then had a go from long range and Jorge Grant got a flick on the ball that forced Trevor Carson to react quickly to save.
The game was opening up now with chances at either end in rapid succession. Seb Palmer-Houlden passed up a great opportunity, heading wide after a driving run and superb cross from the right by Josh Mulligan.
A minute later the Dee had a massive escape when Devlin’s shot took a deflection and struck the post. Grant was first to the rebound but Carson managed to smother the shot on the goal line.
The Dark Blues took the lead in their next attack. Scott Tiffoney crossed from the left and Palmer-Houlden made a nuisance of himself to stop the defence clearing the high ball. Simon MURRAY took full advantage to score with a low shot from 10 yards.
There was still time for a chance at either end before half time. Kabangu shot straight at Carson after a run and cutback by James Penrice. In injury time Mulligan powered through the Hearts midfield and retreating defence, but couldn’t get enough power in his shot to beat Gordon.
It was no surprise that Hearts made two changes at half time after a first half in which they had become increasingly inconsistent and erratic. Stephen Kingsley and Musa Drammeh replaced Jamie McCart and Beni Beningime.
The changes did nothing to help Hearts. If anything they were more ragged and prone to mistakes in the second half. Dundee always kept their concentration and shape, and remained composed in defence throughout.
Frankie Kent sent a glancing header a foot over the bar from a corner, but Hearts failed to create any chances in open play until the game was in added time. The home crowd became increasingly frustrated as the game started to drift away from Hearts.
The home side continued to dominate possession but they were hardly in charge. Dundee’s second half performance was a classic example of a team controlling the game without having the ball.
Fin Robertson came on for Seb Palmer-Houlden just after the hour, playing on the right but in a deeper position.
Happily the hard work of the Dee players meant there was little action to report in the second half. The travelling support became increasingly noisy and confident as they sensed that the Dark Blues were not going to give up the points easily.
After 79 minute Ziyad Larkeche, after a fine display, limped off and was replaced by Imari Samuels. At the end of normal time Scott Fraser and Ethan Ingram came on for Ryan Astley and Antonio Portales who looked like they were suffering from cramp.
There were two scares in the seven minutes of added time. For once Dundee failed to clear and substitute Kenneth Vargas got a shot away, only to fire straight at Carson. In the last minute Craig Gordon came up for a corner. When the second ball came in he fouled Carson with the whistle blowing before Alan Forrest put the ball in the net.
That was the end of the action and the final whistle was met with frantic jubilation from the Dark Blue supporters who were hugely enjoying their day out in the capital.
The players soaked up the applause that they deserved so richly after a win that they had worked so hard to earn. Today’s game a was mix of the unfamiliar and the predictable. Dundee’s defending, composure, shape, and concentration were excellent throughout. Hearts were left frustrated and struggling to get anything out of the Dundee defence. At the other end of the park Simon Murray had one chance and duly got his goal. That’s what he does. If only everything in this world was as reliable as the Dee number 15 in the penalty area! It’s worth noting the performance of two players in unfamiliar positions. Ryan Astley, at right back, and Antonio Portales, as a defensive midfielder, were both highly effective.
A clean sheet and three precious points was the perfect result for the Dark Blues as they started the post-split campaign. The team let their standards slip at Hibs two weeks ago, but today they put everything right, and everyone associated with the Dee loved it.
Hearts 4-2-3-1
Gordon (gk)
Forrester, Kent, McCart (Kingsley at half time), Penrice
Devlin, Baningime (Drammeh at half time)
Kartum (Vargas 62), Grant, Spittal (Dhanda 77)
Kabangu (Forrest 89)
Unused subs: Fulton (gk), Halkett, Nieuwenhof, Steinwender.
Booked: Kabangu (foul on Astley), .
Dundee FC 4-3-3
Carson
Astley (Ingram 89), Shaughnessy (c), Clark Robertson, Larkeche (Samuels 79)
Mulligan, Portales (Fraser 89), Cameron
Palmer-Houlden (Fin Robertson 62), Murray, Tiffoney
Unused subs: McCracken (gk), Reilly, Koumetio, Sylla, Donnelly.
Goal: Murray (38).
Booked: Palmer-Houlden (foul on Penrice), Carson (time-wasting), Cameron (persistent fouling), Clark Robertson (reason unclear).
Referee: Ross Hardie. Assistants: Chris Rae, Kevin Buchanan. VAR: Calum Scott. Assistant VAR: Alan Mulvanny.
Attendance: 18,085.
Report: James Christie.
