Dundee gather another point in their fight for survival

IAN PAUL

5 Apr 1990

Hearts 0, Dundee 0

DUNDEE'S great Houdini act continues to provide unexpected entertainment at the bottom end of the premier-division table, much to the discomfort of some teams in that vicinity.

They went through a rough old time in the second half at Tynecastle but they survived to grasp yet another invaluable point which will alarm Dunfermline and St Mirren.

Dundee had been a more potent force in the first half when they were nearly as effective attackers as Hearts but after losing Jim Duffy with a damaged hamstring they were always trying to hold out against the home side's siege in the second half.

By dint of stalwart defence and some good fortune they hung on to maintain their resolute refusal to give up their top division place.

They have now taken 11 points from their last nine games.

The end might be nigh but no-one at Dens Park seems prepared to listen to the gospel.

If the satellite watchers were of the type who enjoy the cut rather than the thrust of the old game then they would have been well pleased with much of what was happening in the first 20 minutes.

In that period, although not a lot took place in front of goal, there was plenty of thoughtful interpassing from both sets of players to keep the purists' attention.

But those who prefer a sharp edge to the play, especially as a climax to neat manoeuvrings, were much happier in 21 minutes when Hearts made the first proper attempt at scoring a goal

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and it nearly came off.

Mackay had chipped the ball forward so cleverly that the Dundee defence was split very effectively, creating a gap for Foster to run through only 15 yards out.

And it was the alertness of Mathers that saved Dundee's fate when he rushed out to block Foster's shot.

Dundee then decided that they should get serious too and Wright really ought to have put them in front when a Chisholm cross left him with a clear header from close range.

Unfortunately, the striker glanced the ball wide.

Soon after, he was given a glimpse of a chance when Dodds hit a hard cross in front of goal but he just failed to connect.

Now that the phoney war was over the action was much more of a premier nature as Hearts demonstrated with a free-kick that eventually reached Mackay, who sent it high across goal to McPherson.

The Scotland internationalist did the right thing, heading the ball firmly down but Mathers was as attentive as he had been to date and managed to grasp it on his line.

Just before half-time Jim Duffy, the stalwart Dundee defender, moved forward to midfield limping badly.

He had been wearing a protective bandage on his right thigh but seemed to have taken a knock.

Duffy did appear with his mates as they came out after the interval but after an abortive attempt at running decided to head for the bench.

Mark Craib took his place.

Even without their main inspiration Dundee should have taken the lead within two minutes after an uncharacteristic error by Levein, who half-hit the ball into the path of Alan Campbell.

He burst forward, made space for his shot, but then steered it wide.

That was Dundee's last forward move for some time as Hearts took almost complete control.

Waves of maroon shirts rolled in on the Dens Park men's penalty area but the restructured defence, with Chisholm replacing Duffy at the back, held out.

They might well have been beaten when Levein reached a Colquhoun corner which he headed into the right place only to see Dinnie appear to nod it off the line.

Mathers, who had already been something of a Dundee hero, came up with two marvellous saves to keep his team in the game, first from a Foster header and then from another header this time by McPherson.

At times it seemed impossible to imagine that they would keep the scoresheet blank but they went about their business with admirable courage and stubbornness.

HEARTS -- Smith, McLaren, McKinlay, Levein, Berry, McPherson, Colquhoun, Mackay, Robertson, Foster, Bannon.

Substitutes -- Crabbe, McCreery.

DUNDEE -- Mathers, Forsyth, Shannon, Chisholm, Jamieson, Duffy, A Campbell, Dinnie, Wright, Dodds, McLeod.

Substitutes -- Craib, D Campbell.

Referee -- R W Paterson (Neilston).