HEARTS ARE PUMPING

There is life after Levein for Jambos
HEARTS ........................3 DUNDEE .......................0

Euan Mclean At Tynecastle

JAMBOS gave their fans something to smile about at the end of a miserable week with a thumping success.

But there seems no light at the end of the tunnel for 10-man Dundee who were totally overpowered after Jonay Hernandez's first-half dismissal.

The result flatters Jim Duffy's Dark Blues as Hearts ran amok with their extra man.

And although there's now doubt they'll have to be sharper in front of goal when Schalke 04 come calling on UEFA Cup duty this week, this win was much-needed after Craig Levein's departure as boss on Friday.

For a stadium so usually atmospheric Tynecastle was more like a morgue.

The loss of Levein has been greeted like a death in the family because to this club he WAS their kin. A dyed-in-the-wool Jambo just like those perched above a playing surface on which Levein excelled as a player and a dug-out he commanded as gaffer.

In Levein's usual place stood his assistant Peter Houston, taking charge for one game only before following his pal south.

He showed little sign of emotion as the last 90 minutes of his eight-year love affair with the club kicked off - and within 120 seconds he'd witnessed the first booking.

Robbie Neilson was caught off guard by Steven Robb's change of pace and resorted to a cynical push. Ref Craig Thomson's early yellow as a result was justified.

It only set the tone for a busy first half for the whistler. After Ramon Pereira flashed a volley over Fabian Caballero - making his first start of his second spell on Tayside was booked. That was soon followed by a flare up in Hearts' box.

It all started from a 19th minute corner earned when Steve Lovell's desperate slide to poke home Callum McDonald's throughball was turned away by Craig Gordon.

In a busy box the ball broke to Bobby Mann but keeper Gordon was quick to pounce at his feet and smother, although that didn't stop Mann from continuing to hack at the ball in a bid to dislodge it.

Raging Hearts players waded in to defend their keeper only for Andy Webster to take it too far by pushing Mann to the deck just as things appeared to be calming down.

When the dust settled Mann and Alan Maybury were booked and Webster was lucky not to join them in the book.

However, all the drama wasn't physical as Hearts then turned on the style - and the real turning point arrived on 25 minutes.

Pereira's exquisite pass sent Kevin McKenna dashing clear on goal but he was scythed down by Hernandez.

It was a stonewall penalty and an immediate red card for the Spaniard despite Dundee's lame protests that Mann could yet have caught him.

Skipper Steven Pressley stepped up to take the spot-kick and couldn't believe his eyes as it crashed back off the crossbar - his second consecutive penalty miss after his slip against Celtic last month.

The woodwork came to Dundee's rescue again two minutes later when Paul Hartley's fizzing cross found McKenna rising at the back post. His bullet header smashed the top right corner of the upright and bounced to safety, though.

Dundee had another close call on 31 minutes as Pereira danced past three men from midfield before slotting a low drive across the keeper and inches wide.

But the visitors couldn't hold out much longer under the barrage and two minutes later they were behind - probably from the most dubious chance of the lot.

Another neat diagonal ball from Periera on the edge of the area sent McKenna in. The tight angle should have made the hitman's effort easy meat for keeper Derek Soutar yet somehow he allowed his shot to bounce off his body and loop under the bar.

It seemed incredible that Hearts could only be one up, especially after Pereira saw another shot deflected wide of the far post.

Yet they were almost made to pay in a quick break when Caballero pounced on Pressley's slack square pass in midfield to dash towards goal. Fortunately for the home side they breathed again as the striker's shot crept agonisingly wide.

The second half started with McKenna cracking another effort past.

The Canadian internationalist must have wondered what more he needed to do and his exasperation intensified within a couple more minutes. As in the first half it was another superb delivery from Hartley and again his header came back off the bar and Mann swiftly booted to safety.

Dundee skipper Barry Smith earned a booking in 52 minutes for a crunching late lunge on Hartley as the hosts continued to press their extra man advantage.

The Dens outfit were scrapping hard and that spirit was epitomised by a heroic last-ditch block to deny Hearts a second.

Pereira looked certain to net when his neat one-two with McKenna put the goal at his mercy until Callum McDonald threw himself into his path at the crucial moment.

For all their dominance the Gorgie men still had to finish the game off and the impressive Hartley was next to come close, curling a dangerous 25-yarder inches wide.

Duffy could be proud of how his men had battled to keep themselves in this game and in 65 minutes he sent on big hitman John Sutton in place of the spent Robb.

Houston responded in 78 minutes, switching both Patrick Kisnorbo and Joe Hamill for Graham Weir and Neil Janczyk.

And Weir made a quick impact, playing a major part in the goal that calmed the home fans' nerves 10 minutes from time.

Having soaked up a spell of pressure from Dundee, Jambos hit them on the break as Weir latched on to a clearance in midfield then sent Hartley bursting forward.

The playmaker had a lot to do from a tight angle but capped a man of the match performance by drilling a clinical low shot across Soutar into the opposite corner.

Houston made his last act from the Hearts dug-out, throwing on Dennis Wyness for Pereira with eight minutes left.

And the hitman finished the day with a flourish in injury time, latching on to Janczyk's pumped ball forward and smashing home a devastating finish.

A great strike from the former Inverness man - perhaps the current Caley manager is watching with interest...

REFWATCHCRAIG THOMSON had a lively encounter on his hands and handled it superbly. He was right to send of Hernandez for denying McKenna a clear goalscoring opportunity and dished out his bookings sensibly. Barely put a foot wrong all afternoon. Rating: 8/10.

Taken from the Sunday Mail