Dundee 4
Heart of Midlothian 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Just what new boss Archie Knox needed! What a tonic for the home manager (and the crowd) to see their Dark Blues still so full of festive spirit. Fighting for every ball, running like men possessed and playing some good football, they gave their best home display this season.

Three up at half-time AGAINST the wind, Dundee even stepped up their game after the interval and McCall could easily have scored two in the first 20 minutes, one cleared on the line one belted wildly over.

Mind you, Hearts were a bit of a shambles, especially at the back. Smith had some shaky moments in goal, punching unconvincingly and dangerously far off his line-as Cammy Fraser demonstrated when he put the issue beyond all doubt in the 74th minute ramming a magnificent 35 yarder over the astounded keeper.

In attack Hearts had few ideas and the Dens defence, with Bobby Glennie outstanding, didn't have many many anxious moments. One did come the end minute though, when McGeachie armed one in the box but Mackay blasted the penalty wide.

Now a word about Dundee's three moments of triumph in Act One.

For the opener Fraser wung over a corner from the right and Glennie arrived like a train to score with a header which smith never saw. 12 minutes later the goalie came out, got mixed up with Richardson and slipped, letting McCall gain possession and roll the ball into the gaping net. Then McCall headed a McGeachie cross fiercely against the bar and Ferguson, a livelier attacker than he has looked for weeks, forced it over the line.

In Dundee side whose workrate was astonishing, Fraser, Richardson and McGeachie were three who did more than their share.

Hearts were triers all, but had no one outstanding on the day and were a little bit too lousy into the bargain. Their consolation goal might have been an own goal by Smith, but Robertson seemed to get the last touch. There were two bookings-McGeachie of Dundee for a foul on Connor, and Hearts McLaren for fouling Richardson.

Match report written by The Sunday Post