Hearts 3 Dundee 1

By Chris Roberts, PA Sport

Hearts gave stand-in manager Peter Houston the send-off he wanted as captain Colin Cameron grabbed a brace in the 3-1 win over Dundee at Tynecastle.

The Edinburgh club have been interviewing candidates this week with Joe Kinnear the latest name to emerge and looked short of inspiration as Dundee took the lead through a gloriuous free-kick from Beto Carranza - who replaced the injured Georgi Nemsadze just minutes before kick-off.

But they showed great spirit to hit back through Grant Murray before skipper Cameron bagged two late goals to send most of the home fans away happy.

The home side had been determined to earn three points for Houston in his final game as caretaker and Gary McSwegan met Steve Fulton's corner kick at the far post and his header looked destined to hit the back of the net, but Ivano Bonetti himself made a crucial clearance off the goal-line.

A minute later and Colin Cameron should have done better when Juanjo teed the ball up to him but the Scotland midfielder drilled the ball well wide of the mark.

Moments later and Steven Pressley got on the end of Fulton's in-swinging cross at the far post, but was also unable to direct his effort on goal.

It was all Hearts in the opening exchanges and Gordon Durie should have broken the deadlock in the 13th minute when Juanjo slipped down the right before crossing to the striker, who could not keep his header down.

Moments later and Dundee goalkeeper Marco Roccati had to save Cameron's powerful long-range effort low to right to keep his side on level terms.

Argentinian star Claudio Caniggia began to slowly impose himself on the game and his pace was starting to trouble the Hearts defence.

Pressley found himself the first to be fooled by his trickery and speed and in the 18th minute he was booked for a late challenge on the former World Cup hero.

Gordan Petric became the next Hearts defender in the book in the 24th minute as he too was left in Caniggia's wake outside the box and he had no other alternative to bring the striker down.

But from the resulting free-kick Dundee took the lead in emphatic style when Carranza, who would not have even been on the pitch had Nemsadze not been injured, curled an unstoppable shot past the despairing dive of Antti Niemi.

Hearts forced Dundee back after the break and when Fulton picked McSwegan out at the far post it seemed they would at least create a good chance, but he chose to head back across goal and nobody was there to convert it.

McSwegan then went agonisingly close in the 53rd minute when Durie played him into space and he hit a fierce drive that Roccati pushed just around the post.

Hearts needeck quickly after the restart and from the resulting corner kick they were on level terms when Murray rose in the box to head home Juanjo's in-swinging cross.

That gave the home side confidence and in the 56th minute Cameron alomost capitalised on some sloppy defending by Dundee when he latched onto a poor clearance inside the area, but drilled his effort just wide.

Moments later and Juanjo almost put Hearts in front when Murray's ball in came off the head of Steven Tweed before landing at the feet of the Spaniard, whose effort was well saved by the feet of Roccati.

Carranza limped off in the 69th minute with an injury and on came Shaun McSkimming, who was sat in the stand moments before the game.

Dundee were being penned in, but in the 73rd minute they almost grabbed the lead again when Caniggia rose unmarked in the box to meet Bonetti's free-kick, but the Argentinian's header glanced past the post.

However a minute later McSwegan should have put the home side in front when he beat the off-side trap to run onto Fulton's through-ball, but he fired wide with just the keeper to beat.

Stand-in boss Houston threw on the fresh legs of youngster Andy Kirk in the 77th minute for Durie looking for the goal that would see him bow out in winning fashion.

Murray was the fourth man to go into the referee's notebook in the 81st minute for a foul on Barry Smith as they were running out of time to bag the winner.

But with just three minutes left on the clock Hearts grabbed the winner when Kirk crossed from the left and despite McSwegan making a hash of his shot the ball came to Cameron on the edge of the box to fire home past Roccati.

Dundee's misery was completed in the final minute when Fulton was brought down in the box by Bonetti and Cameron stepped up send Roccati the wrong way for his second goal of the game.

After the final whistle almost 500 Hearts fans staged a sit-in chanting for the head of chief executive Chris Robinson - but at least the players and Houston returned home satisfied.

Teams:

Hearts: Niemi, Pressley, Petric, Murray, Neilson, Cameron, Fulton, Severin, Durie (Kirk 77), Juanjo, McSwegan, Milne (Tomaschek 90).

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, James, Milne.

Booked: Pressley, Petric, Durie, Murray.

Goals: Murray 53, Cameron 88, 90 pen.

Dundee: Roccati, Smith, Marrocco, de Marchi, Tweed, Bonetti, Rae, Carranza (McSkimming 69), Artero (Milne 88), Falconer, Caniggia, Langfield.

Subs Not Used: Wilkie, Sara.

Booked: Bonetti.Goals: Carranza 24.

Att: 11,539

Ref: A Freeland (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com