Dundee 0
Heart of Midlothian 1
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from The Sporting Post - Bill McFarlane.

Hearts, urged on by a vociferous following, upset all the odds to win a game they tried to cancel on Friday through illness and injury. By 4.45 p.m. yesterday, it was Dundee who wished the game had never taken place.

Hearts arrived down. They should have been out after just 28 minutes. However, displaying their traditional guts and determination, the visitors dug in and eventually snatched a sensational victory.

Dundee were expected to win. But nothing went right for them at all. As well as missing a penalty, they passed up three gilt-edged opportunities when Hearts were still trying to find their feet.

If the Dark Blues had taken even 50% of their chances in that opening half-hour, there would surely have been no way back for Hearts.

However, football is all about the art of putting the ball in the back of the net. And Gary Mackay showed Dundee how it should be done. He scored a goal fit to decide any match.

Just after the interval, the Edinburgh midfielder collected a loose ball near the touchline with no danger imminent. He cut inside and unleashed a blistering, accurate 25-yard drive which beat Geddes, hit the far post and rippled the net. A truly great goal.

Not surprisingly, it lifted Hearts and deflated Dundee. The visitors, with their injuries and illness worries, finished the stronger side.

They were still a shade fortunate to take both points. But Dundee have only themselves to blame. After a promising start, they never recovered from their early misses and Mackay's spectacular goal.

Coyne, Harvey and Shannon spurned excellent openings prior to the penalty. Sandison then downed Harvey, but Dundee's spot-kick jinx continued.

Graham Harvey was too deliberate and Henry Smith blocked easily to his left to make it three successive misses from the spot for Dundee.

The closest they came to equalising was a 30-yarder from Rafferty which struck the bar and went over.

It was a fast exciting game till the last. Hearts were always dangerous on the break. And they killed the match at every opportunity.

Ignore the numbers on their backs, it was Hearts' usual formation with Watson, Whittaker, Foster, Cowie and Mackay outstanding.

Dundee must wonder why they have nothing to show this morning. Until they sharpen up in front of goal and improve their passing this is liable to happen again. Forsyth, Duffy and Coyne were consistent.

There were three bookings, Glennie for bringing down Foster, Duffy for similar treatment on Mackay, and lastly Foster for dissent