Hearts 3 Dunfermline 0

Goals from Dennis Wyness, Ramon Pereira and a Paul Hartley penalty sealed a comfortable 3-0 win for Hearts over Dunfermline at Tynecastle in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

The Pars headed into the game hoping to end a 15-year-old hoodoo but were handed a thrashing instead.

Wyness struck in the 11th minute with his fourth goal of the season.

Just 56 seconds into the second period, former Raith man Pereira was on hand to seal the points.

In the 56th minute, Pars' young defender Greg Ross hauled down Wyness in the area and Hartley celebrated his call-up to the Scotland Future squad with the third from the spot.

The first chance of the game fell to Hearts with just two minutes on the clock.

Steven Pressley flighted a cross to Mark de Vries in the box and he nodded into the path of the unmarked Wyness.

The striker unleashed a curling effort, but was denied the opener when goalkeeper Derek Stillie pulled off an impressive save at the near post.

Dunfermline had a decent chance of their own soon after when Greg Ross supplied the cross for Barry Nicholson and his header flashed just wide.

The game was just nine minutes old when referee John Underhill booked Gary Dempsey for a late challenge on Pressley.

Only the quick reaction of Gary Mason prevented Dunfermline falling behind when he hooked a de Vries header off the line as both sides carved out good chances early on.

It proved only to be a temporary reprieve for the visitors when Hearts took the lead in the 11th minute.

Joe Hamill's cross from the edge of the box found Wyness and he left the Dunfermline goalkeeper with no chance as he bulleted home a header from eight yards.

Dunfermline quickly set about trying to haul themselves back into the game and came close when they were handed a free-kick just outside the area.

Scott Thomson stepped up for the set-piece and Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon only managed to smother the thunderous effort at the second attempt.

At the other end of the park, Hartley found Pereira on the edge of the box and his shot deflected just wide of the post.

Hearts should have added to their lead a couple of minutes later.

Hamill was the provider but de Vries managed to blast well over the crossbar from eight yards even though it looked much easier to score.

Dunfermline were under pressure again when a goalmouth scramble eventually led to Patrick Kisnorbo's header at goal.

Andy Webster tried to help the ball into the net, but clashed with Stillie and the ball ricocheted off the goalkeeper for a corner instead.

Dunfermline manager Davie Hay clearly thought his team needed more firepower and replaced Stephen Bradley with Noel Hunt.

But Hunt - out for several weeks with an ankle injury - did not even have time to touch the ball before Hearts had extended their lead.

Pressley played the ball to de Vries and he flicked onto Pereira for a tremendous first-time shot, which left the Dunfermline goalkeeper with no chance less than a minute into the second half.

Dunfermline's frustrations was clear for all to see when Ross tripped Wyness in the box and referee John Underhill did not hesitate to point to the penalty spot.

Hartley stepped up for the spot-kick and blasted the ball past Stillie to record his ninth goal of the season.

Hearts made their first change of the day after 65 minutes when Hamill was replaced by Stamp.

Hartley had already made way for Michael Stewart and another goalscorer was replaced when Wyness was swapped for Graham Weir with 15 minutes to go.

Hearts' grip on the game was not quite as strong after that and Dunfermline started to push forward again.

Mason and Ross both tried their luck with chances at goal but were denied by the Hearts goalkeeper.

Phil Stamp had only played a small part in the game but it ended in agony for him when he was stretchered off late on.

Teams:

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, McAllister, Wyness (Weir 75), Hartley (Stewart 71), Kisnorbo, Hamill (Stamp 65), de Vries, Pereira.

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, MacFarlane, Sloan, Berra.

Goals: Wyness 11, Pereira 46, Hartley 56 pen.

Dunfermline Stillie, Ross, Tod, Scott Wilson, Scott Thomson, Nicholson, Mason, Bradley (Hunt 45), Darren Young, Butler, Dempsey.

Subs Not Used: Langfield, Greenhill, McKeown, Campbell, Craig Wilson, Scullion.

Booked: Dempsey.

Att: 10,084

Ref: J Underhill (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com