Dunfermline 0 Hearts 1

By PA Sport Staff

Hearts midfielder Scott Severin scored a brilliant strike at Dunfermline to help the Jambos ease the disappointment over the loss of captain Colin Cameron.

The former Scotland under-21 captain, who replaced Cameron in midfield, won the match for the visitors with a brilliant long-range effort just as the game looked to be heading for a goalless stalemate.

His 25-yard screamer separated the sides but Dunfermline will rue their missed chances in a first-half where they started and finished on top.

Hearts head coach Craig Levein named a side with only one change from last week's 3-1 win over Dundee but as far as the fans were concerned it was a major loss.

Cameron's departure for Wolves on Friday had clearly upset the Tynecastle faithful and they directed their anger at chief executive Chris Robinson from the first whistle.

The players may have been affected by the negativity as they almost went behind within the first five minutes.

Transfer-listed Lee Bullen combined well with Stevie Crawford to scamper away down the right flank. His cross found Dutchman Jack De Gier in the centre but his shot was deflected just wide.

Two minutes later the home side came even closer to making the breakthrough.

Jason Dair swung in a corner which was met brilliantly by Bullen and his header was flicked on only yards from goal by De Gier but the crossbar came to Hearts' rescue.

Referee Mike McCurry's whistle was heard too frequently throughout for the game to settle into any real rhythm but Hearts at least managed to battle their way back into things with Juanjo causing all sorts of problems down the right.

Severin passed up the visitors' best chance of the half when he sent a header spinning wide after good work from Stephane Mahe on the left.

Dunfermline should have taken the lead on the stroke of the interval when De Gier's shot on the turn was deflected into Gary Mason's path but the midfielder's shot was too straight and Hearts keeper Antti Niemi made the block.

Summer signing Gus MacPherson was handed his competitive debut for the Fifers when he was sent on for Davie Nicholls at half-time but his first involvement in the action was to pick up a booking for chopping down Andy Kirk.

Both managers made further substitutions as they sought to change the course of a game, which was littered with poor passing and little imagination and appeared to heading for a mediocre scoreless draw.

But it took only one moment of magic to turn the game for Hearts in the 77th minute.

There appeared to be nothing on as the ball was rolled square across the midfield but Severin, restored to midfield in place of Cameron, rocketed a 25-yard shot into the top corner past the despairing dive of Marco Ruitenbeek.

The goal gave Hearts more confidence and it looked as if they could even go on to add further misery to the home side.

But, although the Pars attempted a grandstand finish, they never looked likely to grab the equaliser.

Teams:

Dunfermline: Ruitenbeek, Doesburg, Dair (Nish 80), Scott Thomson, Bullen (Skinner 65), Nicholson, Mason, Nicholls (MacPherson 45), McGroarty, Crawford, de Gier.

Subs Not Used: Scott Y Thomson, Potter.

Booked: MacPherson, Dair.

Hearts: Niemi, Flogel, Pressley, Webster, Mahe, Perez (McSwegan 59), Severin, Fulton, Simmons, Wales (Kirk 42), Mckenna.

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Davidson, McCann.

Booked: Simmons.

Goals: Severin 75.

Att: 6,992

Ref: M McCurry (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com