Johnston double dumps Dundee

2 Mar 1994

Dundee 0, Hearts 2

MAURICE Johnston displayed the kind of finishing at Dens Park which apparently had Scotland manager Craig Brown reconsidering the former Old Firm favourite's international future.

To be frank, the striker was too much for premier league basement outfit Dundee to handle.

His double propelled the Tynecastle outfit out of the dreaded bottom three in the relegation zone of the league table, simply underlining the boost Sandy Clark's men took from their recent Edinburgh derby success over Hibs.

But while Hearts celebrated on their return journey to the capital, spare a thought for Dundee player-manager, Jim Duffy, who lay rather than sat out last night's affair in a hospital bed, having survived a horror car crash earlier in the day.

Apparently the Dens Park leader attempted to talk his medical advisers into discharging him in time for last night's game.

Thankfully, the patient was spared as Hearts coasted to success.

Duffy's assistant, John McCormack, spent yesterday completing the long-awaited transfer of Falkirk's Neil Duffy, and threw Jim's nephew in for an instant debut.

Duffy found it difficult in the frantic, midfield division.

New home keeper, Michel Pageau, making his premier league debut, did well despite the scoreline.

But the night belonged to Hearts, and Johnston in particular, although he must have thought things were destined to go against him in 13 minutes when, after Pageau had dropped a cross, Mo's lob was chested off the line by Steve Frail.

Six minutes later Johnston achieved the breakthrough, slotting home from the penalty spot after young Neil McCann pulled down Garry McKay from the back.

In the second period the visitors took a stranglehold on proceedings as Dundee threw men forward in their attempt to salvage a result.

But again in 64 minutes it was Johnston who proved to be the difference between the sides.

He sent Wayne Foster down the left with a defence-piercing pass, and was on hand to accept his fellow striker's cut back and drive home.

Four players were booked -- home men Steve Pitman and Noel Blake along with visitors Foster and John Millar.

DUNDEE -- Pargeau, Frail, Pittman, Dinnie, Blake, N Duffy, Shaw, McQuillan, Britton, Wieghorst, McCann.

Substitutes -- Tosh, Bain, Mathers.

HEARTS -- Smith, Weir, McKinlay, Levein, Berry, McLaren, Colquhoun, Mackay, Foster, Johnston, Millar.

Substitutes -- Robertson, Leitch, Walker.

Referee -- D Hope (Erskine).

Taken from the Herald