Rae of hope for Scotland as Dundee maestro runs show

HEARTS 2-2 DUNDEE

MIKE AITKEN AT TYNECASTLE

Referee: J Underhill. Attendance: 11,348

IF GAVIN Rae’s sense of disappointment at the manner in which Dundee eventually lost control of this gripping SPL match against Hearts was overwhelming, the midfield player could still take satisfaction from a swashbuckling individual display which deserved to catch the eye of Berti Vogts.

In front of the Scotland manager, Rae staked a worthwhile claim at Tynecastle for the vacancy in midfield against Lithuania at Hampden on Saturday. In the absence of the injured Paul Lambert, the Dundee player argued his case for consideration alongside Colin Cameron and Barry Ferguson in Scotland’s most significant tie in years with a persuasive combination of strength and opportunism. "Gavin was immense against Hearts," noted Jim Duffy, the Dundee manager, "and must have put himself in the picture for the Lithuania game."

Although not suggesting a similar level of ability, an experienced colleague’s observation that Rae has something of David Hay’s drive in his approach to the game was more than justified by a display against Hearts which combined a well-taken goal on the counter-attack with a tireless dedication to denying the home side space.

A rarity among defensive midfield players from this neck of the woods in his capacity to threaten the opposition when the opportunity arises, Rae’s determined effort on the pitch in Edinburgh was enhanced by his modest demeanour off it.

"In the first-half I thought I was a bit quiet," was his candid response to the news of Vogts’ presence at the match. "It was a battle, and in those circumstances you don’t always see the best side of your game. I was better pleased with the second half, when I broke up the park more and scored a goal.

"Hopefully, I put myself in contention for Saturday. I feel good about my game right now, I think you can see the confidence in my play, and my fingers are crossed I’ll be involved.

"But my own situation is secondary - what matters is that Scotland get into the play-offs. It would be brilliant to play from the start, but the result is the most important thing. Even if I don’t start and come on later to help the team out, then that would mean as much to me, so long as we get the right result."

As part of a four-man midfield which frustrated Hearts and reduced the home side to heaving aimless high balls in the direction of Mark de Vries in the first half, Rae was also involved in the challenge on Andy Webster which saw the young centre-back misjudge the bounce of the ball. This allowed Nacho Novo to cut inside and hit a shot on target which squirmed over Tepi Moilanen’s outstretched arms.

‘Hopefully, I put myself in contention for Lithuania. I feel good about my game right now and hope I’ll be involved’ - GAVIN RAE
Rae also took advantage of another slip by Webster on the halfway line in the 63rd minute which gave Dundee a two-goal lead. Not surprisingly, it was the manner in which that lead was squandered that most concerned the player afterwards.

"We were gutted at the way the game worked out and feel we let ourselves down badly," he admitted. "I don’t know if there was a turning point, but we did make silly mistakes again. We’d defended well until losing concentration and those two goals near the end.

"As for my goal, it was the first time I’ve scored at Tynecastle. It was a burst from the halfway line in which I had one chance to look up. I decided to hit the ball early and it struck one post and then the other before going over the line."

Craig Levein would have declined the offer of a point from this fixture before a ball was kicked, but when Rae’s goal went in, the Hearts’ coach conceded he’d have bitten off your hand for a 2-2 draw.

Although Levein was more inclined to credit a change in his team’s mentality when the match looked all but lost, it shouldn’t be overlooked that the goal which sparked the fightback was fashioned and executed by three players who came off the bench.

Faced with opponents who mounted two banks of four behind the ball and, in Lee Wilkie, possessed a centre-back with more than enough inches to deal with any aerial bombardment, Hearts lacked both width and guile in midfield. Phil Stamp, Scott Severin and Neil MacFarlane all look more or less like the same type of player, and Paul Hartley, on this occasion, wasn’t adept enough at linking with the strikers.

True, Dennis Wyness failed to hit the target with a couple of decent chances, but for an hour this sluggish effort from the home side lacked the craft and guile needed to break down a side of Dundee’s calibre. It was fitting, therefore, that the inspiration of Jean-Louis Valois’s left boot, the desire of Stephen Simmons to build a bridge between midfield and attack, and the imagination of Graham Weir in the penalty box should combine to force a delightful goal that was all about picking the lock rather than blowing the bloody doors off.

With nothing to lose, Hearts also raised the tempo of their play in the last half an hour. When Valois’s inswinging corner to the near post was met by a towering header from Steven Pressley, which tore into the roof of the net, it was evidence of how Hearts are often at their most dangerous when coming off the ropes.

"It’s as if a button was pushed and they started to look like the third best team in the league," said Levein, who felt a nervous first-half display was down to the unhelpful synergy between a group of off-colour players and a critical element in the home support. "But the mind-set changed and our players showed tremendous spirit and determination to fight back."

Taken from the Scotsman