Heart of Midlothian 3
Dundee 3
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from Don John - The Courier.

This six-goal Sunday spectacular left the fans hoarse and breathless at Tynecastle yesterday-not only at the scoring, but also the frantic action that dominated the 90 minutes.

Twice Dundee were behind, twice they equalised. Then a third goal by Graeme Harvey, his first for the club, seemed to put the Dens Parkers on the way to victory.

Hearts hit back with a goal by sub Brian McNaughton, only four minutes into his first-team debut and at the end of a hectic 90 minutes it was all square at 3-3, with no complaints about the result or the entertainment value.

The first half was the real sizzler, three goals coming in four minutes and played at a pace that never let up.

This is a good point for Dundee, indeed a good weekend for them considering the other Premier results. Sunday football at Tynecastle seems to suit them.

Now it's on to Muirton Park and the cup tie tomorrow night and, despite the bruising battle yesterday, Archie Knox tells me he has no real team difficulties.

After a peaceful opening, the Sabbath was shattered by a flurry of action and goals that had the 10,063 crowd really worked up.

Hearts started it off by scoring in the seventh minute. Mackay went through the middle and although Carson parried the shot Robertson was lying handy to bang in the rebound.

Nine minutes later it was all square. Brown dispossessed Black in the Hearts half, then ran on and on before beating Smith with a tremendous, deflected 20 yarder.

Dundee's jubilation lasted only three minutes, during which they had Connor booked.

Then the visitors lost another goal.

Jardine lobbed the ball forward for Mackay and Robertson, who certainly looked off-side. The linesman made no move and Mackay dribbled past Carson before coolly picking his spot.

One minute later it was 2-2. Dundee skipper McCormack carried on where he had left off against Rangers in the previous match by expertly heading in a McKinlay free kick.

Just afterwards McKinlay became Dundee's second booking and so, in the space of five minutes, we had three goals and two bookings.

No wonder the game and the fans were buzzing. Tackling was fierce, there was little time for cultured stuff-and Dundee looked the likelier side to score.

Smith had to hold a fierce shot from Rafferty, Harvey had one close-in effort off the keeper's legs and Stephen followed with a shot tipped over the bar by Smith.

Hearts only threat as this torrid first half ended was a Mackay shot over the top. They also had Roddy MacDonald booked for persistent fouling.

Hearts had a penalty claim for hands against Smith refused early in the second half.

They should have gone ahead again in 49 minutes. Whittaker connected with a Clark cross and battered the ball over the bar from six yards out. Soon after, Johnston scooped the ball over from a similar position-two bad misses.

But it was Dundee who took the lead, for the first time, in 57 minutes. Brown crossed high from the left. Harvey controlled the ball well and with admirable coolness steered it into Smith's far corner.

The home side were frustrated and Kidd was fortunate to get off with a lecture after injuring Rafferty.

The strong running Brown had Smith fully stretched to save as Dundee went out for more. Rafferty had a go, but shot well wide.

Joy returned to the home terracings in 74 minutes when young McNaughton, who had replaced Johnston moments earlier, grabbed the equaliser. He raced in from the right before shooting low past Carson.

Albert Kidd went on for Harvey as the game re-started and the pot was boiling again with the scores level at 3-3. Few holds were barred. Keeper Carson, victim of a violent collision with Walter Kidd, needed lengthy treatment.

Then, when a tackle on Albert Kidd went unpunished, Archie Knox was visited in the dug-out by the referee for a lecture.

Minutes later Albert Kidd was pulled down by Jardine in box-no penalty, even though it looked a good one to me.

In the closing minutes, both teams brought on their second substitutes, and after 90 minutes of full-blooded action, both looked happy to call it quits.