Dunfermline 1 Hearts 2

From JIM BLACK at East End Park
Published: 07th April 2012
HEARTS ensured there was no cure for Dunfermline's home sickness with a slick double whammy.

Relegation-haunted Pars slipped closer to the First Division after Jambos ensured there would be no first home win of the season with an early second-half one-two.

Gary Glen and Alex Keddie's own goal in the space of five minutes left Jim Jefferies side with a mountain to climb.

A late own goal by Hearts skipper Marius Zaliukas when he got in the way of a shot by substitute Joe Cardle, gave Pars some hope, but it wasn't enough to rescue anything from a must-win match.

The result means the Fifers — with just two wins from their last 22 matches — remain in bottom spot in the SPL, six points adrift of Hibs with a match more played.

And a home win for Hibs over Motherwell today will all but seal the Pars' fate as they run out of games — and hope.

Former Hearts boss Jefferies has been known to produce the odd miracle in his time.

But the recently appointed Pars gaffer will have to surpass anything he has achieved in the past if he is somehow to keep them up.

Jefferies scoffed at the notion that his old club might do Dunfermline a favour, if only to pile the pressure on bitter rivals Hibs in the relegation dog-fight.

But there was no hint that the Hearts players had elected to take it easy, given the cut-and- thrust nature of the early play.

Not that there was a great deal to excite the fans.

Apart from Paul Willis' sixth-minute shot that was blocked there was a dearth of quality play and incidents.

Hearts did threaten after 18 minutes when Glen and Rudi Skacel combined in a promising move that was thwarted at the last moment by the intervention of a defender.

Dunfermline hit back a minute later with as David Graham, Austin McCann and Andy Kirk combined in an enterprising move which finished with Kirk heading over.

Pars were heartened by the threat they had managed to pose and Graham and then Kirk tried their luck.

Graham's 21st minute shot was goal-bound until it was deflected wide off the leg of a defender.

Then Kirk sent his half-volley flying over after Willis had created the opening for him. Hearts were struggling to gain control and midfielder Ian Black felt a need to take out Kyle Hutton with a nasty challenge that earned him a booking when it could just as easily have left him seeing red.

Dunfermline were not at all intimidated, however and they continued to press forward in an effort to put an end to their horror home records — both against Hearts and for the season.

They have failed to record a win over the Tynecastle side at East End Park since a Scottish Cup tie ion 2007.

And you have to go even further back, to September 2004, to find the last time that they beat the Jambos at home in the SPL.

It wasn't exactly difficult to see why as while they showed plenty of perspiration there was a distinct lack of inspiration about their play.

They tended to rush their moves and treated the ball as if it was a hot potato.

And their prospects of smashing those dismal records receded further three minutes after the restart.

Chris Smith had just saved his side — producing a good stop to deny Skacel after Jamie Hamill and Glen combined to set up the Czech — when Hearts made the breakthrough.

The home defence failed to deal with Danny Grainger's cross and Glen had time and space to gather his thoughts and the ball before driving it low into the net from a tight angle.

The roof effectively caved in on Dunfermline four minutes later when they fell further behind.

Aussie full-back Ryan McGowan's header from a Black cross was blocked by Keddie, but when the stopper challenged Darren Barr, the ball came off him and flew past Smith into the net. Dunfermline made a double substitution, sending on Cardle and Steven McDougall for Kirk and Mark Kerr.

But the change of personnel did not have any immediate effect on the match.

Pars already bore the haunted look of a beaten team heading for the First Division.

Hearts, meanwhile, appeared to believe their job was done and began playing well within themselves.

Dunfermline huffed and puffed but there was a lack of conviction about their overall play and they carried little threat. Hearts appeared to have no difficultly containing them — but then conceded a sloppy goal five minutes from time.

When the Jambos defence failed to clear the danger, Cardle shot from a tight angle on the right and the ball struck Zaliukas and flew into the net.

That set up a grandstand finish, but it was too little too late to save Dunfermline from a defeat that may ultimately seal their fate.