Dundee 1 Hearts 0

By Ronnie Esplin, PA Sport

A dramatic goal in the second period of extra time by youngster Bobby Linn sent crisis club Dundee into the semi-finals of the CIS Cup after an engrossing clash with Hearts at Dens Park.

Both sides were locked at 0-0 after a tough 90 minutes and there was no sign of a breakthrough as the game went into the additional half hour.

But two minutes into the second period, Linn was on hand to score from close range after Nacho Novo's shot had rebounded off a post.

Linn's first goal for the Tayside club and the money the semi-final appearance will bring, did a little to lighten the gloom which has surrounded the Tayside club since they went into administration last week.

It was tough luck on the Edinburgh side who were never far away in a game that ebbed and flowed and had the 7,130 on the edge of their seats at times.

Indeed the home side were well on top in the early stages and in the eighth minute their first chance came when a Mark Fotheringham corner was headed weakly towards goal by Dees defender Lee Mair and easily cleared.

Then, a minute later, Fotheringham blasted an angled shot from 10 yards straight at Hearts keeper Craig Gordon who parried clear.

It was mostly one-way traffic and in the 18th minute Dundee midfielder Garry Brady latched onto a cleared corner by Hearts striker Mark De Vries but his low drive whistled inches past Gordon's right hand post.

Two minutes later at the other end, Hearts had their first effort on goal when a Phil Stamp piledriver from 25 yards was well held by Dees keeper Julian Speroni at head height.

On the half-hour mark, following a fine cross from the left by Brady, Steve Lovell came close to reaching a David Mackay header inside the six-yard box, but the alert Gordon was quickly out to smother.

The game continued to excite in short bursts and a minute before the break, Speroni had to be lively to tip over a Paul Hartley shot which arrowed towards the roof of the net.

But seconds later at the other end, Gordon pulled off a great save from Dundee striker Novo after he was left with only the Jambos keeper to beat.

The visitors appeared to have adopted a more positive mode after the break and in the 48th minute they broke through Stamp and the midfielder came close with a clever chip shot from 30 yards which went just wide.

Moments later, as the Edinburgh men swarmed around the Dundee box, De Vries thundered a right-foot shot off the chest of the Dundee keeper.

In the 51st minute, after De Vries had been fouled by Dundee defender Lee Wilkie, Hartley blasted the resultant free-kick from 30 yards high over the bar.

Dundee next went close when Mackay's left foot shot from the edge of the box went just past Gordon's left hand post.

Just at the death, Hearts substitute Kevin McKenna, on for De Vries, nearly broke the deadlock with a header but Speroni tipped the ball over the bar.

In the first period of extra time, gaps opened up at both ends as tiredness started to play its part in proceedings.

Fotheringham's 30-yard free-kick was accurate but barely troubled Gordon and seconds later at the other end, Hartley's curled shot from 25 yards went inches past Speroni's right hand post.

There was drama only two minutes into the second period of extra time, and somewhat out of the blue, when the home side stole into the lead.

Novo broke through the Hearts defence and toe-poked the ball off the post and when the ball rebounded back, substitute Linn, on in the 70th minute for Lovell, knocked the ball into the empty net.

Hearts rallied and went all out for the equaliser and following a desperate scramble, Dens defender Jonay Hernandez cleared off the line.

Novo hit the post again in the dying seconds of the game but the home side had already done enough.

Teams:

Dundee Speroni, Mackay, Wilkie, Mair, Hernandez Santos, Rae (Sancho 84), Smith, Brady, Novo, Lovell (Linn 72), Fotheringham.

Subs Not Used: McCafferty, Hutchinson, Cameron.

Booked: Fotheringham, Novo.

Goals: Linn 107.

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Webster, Kisnorbo, Maybury, MacFarlane, Stamp (Valois 81), Hartley, Kirk, de Vries (McKenna 69), Wyness (Severin 60).

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, Wales.

Booked: Hartley, Webster, Kisnorbo.

Att: 7,130

Ref: W Young (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com