Hearts 2 Dunfermline 0

High-flying Hearts extended their unbeaten Bank of Scotland Premier League run to 11 games with a comfortable 2-0 win over struggling Dunfermline in a day of incredible drama which saw the departure of the Jambos manager George Burley.

The league leaders took control of the match from the kick-off and there was no surprise when prolific Czech midfielder Rudi Skacel fired in a 21st minute opener from 20 yards out, his ninth goal of the season.

Dunfermline had no time to compose themselves before fellow countryman Michal Pospisil rattled in his second of the campaign with a curled shot from just inside the Fifers' penalty area to take the Edinburgh side six points ahead of second-placed Celtic.

But the game was almost lost amongst the incredible news that manager George Burley had departed the club before the game, leaving Tynecastle coach John McGlynn in charge.

The shock development came just 24 hours after majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov had increased his stake in the club to 55% in his bid to take outright control of the club.

Chairman George Foulkes had described yesterday's events as a "great day for Hearts" but today there was a sense of shock around Tynecastle as the teams came out in front of yet another sell-out crowd.

Romanov's entrance into the Tynecastle directors' box - in recent matches greeted with great enthusiasm by the fans - was met with an almost stunned silence with one Jambos supporter berating the subdued looking Lithuanian who was barracked by several more fans on the final whistle.

There was, unsurprisingly, a strange atmosphere at kick-off but the Gorgie men were immediately in control.

In the third minute midfielder Skacel's low drive from the edge of the Pars penalty area was deflected onto the bar before the Czech's corner was headed just over by fellow countryman Pospisil.

Moments later, in a swift counter-attack, Skacel set up Paul Hartley with a through ball that put the Scottish international clean through on goal but the Jambos playmaker's first touch was poor, allowing Dunfermline keeper Allan McGregor to come out and block before the ball eventually went behind for a goal kick.

The home side's pressure was incessant and in the 10th minute Brazilian midfielder Samuel Camazzola drove an angled shot from 16 yards over the bar.

In the 20th minute, after it seemed the visitors had stemmed the tide, the Pars' midfielder Darren Young drove in a 25 yard snap-shot which fizzed just past the post.

However, a minute later the tireless Skacel picked up the ball and drove a wonderful shot from 20 yards past the helpless McGregor for his ninth goal of the season.

The confidence drained from the Fifers immediately and in the 24th minute Pospisil made it 2-0 when he took a Camazzola pass and curled a left-footed shot from 16 yards into the far corner of the net.

The Pars were offering little in return, Craig Gordon was almost untroubled in goal and it seemed simply a matter of how many Hearts would go on to score.

In the 36th minute, however, ex-Jambos striker Mark Burchill reacted first to an in-swinging free-kick from Lee Makel but his head-flick from 12 yards out went a yard past the far post.

The Edinburgh side appeared to take their foot off the pedal a little but their dominance remained unshaken.

In the 44th minute McGregor did well to touch a dipping Pospisil shot from the edge of the box onto the bar and over for a corner, which ultimately came to nothing.

With Mark Burchill alone in attack after the interval there seemed little prospect of the visitors salvaging anything from this match.

In the 67th minute Dunfermline made a double substitution, Derek Young and Liam Horsted being replaced by Simon Donnelly and Jamie McCunnie in a last gasp effort to get something from the game.

In the 71st minute Makel came close with a 20-yard drive which cleared Gordon's bar but moments later at the other end Jambos substitute Deividas Cesnauskis, on for Camazzola, came closer with a left-footed shot from distance which shaved McGregor's right-hand post.

Then Skacel sliced his left-footed shot wide from 14 yards after linking up well with Hartley.

The Scottish international was substituted for Jamie McAllister and pulled off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt saying 'for the gaffer'.

To cap a crazy day, in the last minute Hearts skipper Steven Pressley was incredibly given a straight red card for hauling back Pars substitute McCunnie at the edge of the box, but the resultant free-kick came to nothing.

Teams:

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Fyssas, Camazzola (Cesnauskis 70), Brellier, Hartley (McAllister 90), Skacel, Pospisil (Elliot 80), Jankauskas.

Subs Not Used: Banks, Mikoliunas, Neill, Tall.

Sent Off: Pressley (90).

Goals: Skacel 21, Pospisil 23.

Dunfermline McGregor, Shields, Scott Wilson (Tod 47), Thomson, Horsted (McCunnie 68), Darren Young, Makel, Mason, Derek Young (Donnelly 67), Burchill, Zambernardi.

Subs Not Used: Halliwell, Ross, Campbell, Tarachulski.

Booked: Darren Young, Thomson.

Att: 16,500

Ref: C Murray (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com