Heart of Midlothian 1
Dundee 2
League (Premier League)

Match Report

A Steve Lovell double gave Dundee a fully deserved win at Tynecastle as Jim Duffy tinkered with his line up again. The manager made five changes from the team who'd lost at Firhill, in came Rae, Smith, Caballero, Lovell and Novo and this time the boss got it right as the Dees became the first non Old Firm side to down the Jambos. The new look midfield of Rae, Brady and Smith took control for large parts of this match, with Brady turning in a really top class display.

The front three showed outstanding movement, their constant switching undoubtedly gave Hearts normally fine central defensive partnership one of their more uncomfortable afternoons. There were times when the Dundee defence looked stretched too but they handled star striker Mark De Vries well and Lee Wilkie again looked awesome.

Edinburgh was bathed in sunshine as the match kicked off, few could have imagined the storm which would batter the stadium an hour and a half later, but the Dundee support were singing in the deluge at time up. A barrage of hailstones and torrential rain mattered little after a fine performance from the Dark Blues.

Lovell opened his account in 26 minutes and the alertness of Nacho Novo was key to the counter. Full back McMullan hesitated as a McKenzie throw out came his way, and the tiny Spaniard nipped in to steal the ball and feed Caballero. The striker jinked to the bye line, steadied himself, and chipped a perfect cross onto the head of Lovell five yards out, big Steve couldn't miss

Hearts drew level in sixty minutes when a superb comer from the sweet left foot of Jean-Louis Valois evaded Speroni and was forced home from inches out by McKenna. It really was a stunning delivery from the Frenchman, who delivered quality balls into Dundee's box whenever he got the opportunity.

They were on equal terms for only seven minutes though as Novo slid a great ball in between the central defenders and Lovell showed real pace to outstrip Pressley and rap the ball past the on-rushing McKenzie.

There were near things at either end too, Novo clipping a shot off the bar from 15 yards in the first quarter hour, Pressley slapping an effort from four yards high over the target early in the second half.

However, the most dramatic was just after the half hour mark when a Valois free curled at pace onto the face of the bar with the rebound being fired goalwards by McKenna only to be deflected off the inside of the post and clutched by Speroni.

The result ended a horrendous run by the Dark Blues in fixtures against the Edinburgh club, having failed to beat Hearts in thirteen matches before this fixture, and it lifted the Dees to fifth place behind Hearts on goal difference. It also maintained Jim Duffy's 100 per cent record at Tynecastle as Dundee boss - he won twice there in '93-94, his only previous visits as Dees supremo.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme