Feelgood factor at Hearts halted as Dundee bag first SPL win of the season

RAB DOUGLAS was in inspired form as Hearts fell to Ryan Conroy's early goal that stopped them going joint top of the SPL.

HEARTS boss John McGlynn decided not to hammer his below-par stars and at the same time refused to slate David Templeton for his switch to Rangers.

A Jambos statement effectively accused Templeton of lacking ambition by moving to Ibrox and claimed he had downed tools at Tynecastle since the turn of the year.

However, McGlynn launched a defence of his former player yesterday as he reflected on a game in which Hearts did everything but score as they passed up the chance to go joint top of the SPL.

Rab Douglas was a man inspired for Dundee, saving a first-half penalty from John Sutton after Ryan Conroy had netted a spot-kick for the visitors in only 80 seconds as they claimed their first win of the SPL season.

Hearts passed up chance after chance as they failed to add to the feelgood factor around Gorgie following their outstanding displays against Liverpool in the Europa League qualifiers.

Ryan Stevenson was given a lukewarm reception on his return to Hearts after replacing Sutton at half-time as boos could be heard among the cheers from the Jambos faithful.

But it was Templeton’s decision to quit the club on Friday night for the Third Division that remained the major talking point around the place, as team-mate Ryan McGowan refused to follow suit and sign up at Ibrox.

McGlynn said: “The club have made a statement and my opinion, based on the short time I’ve been here and on the fact I had David on loan at Raith Rovers, is that he trained very well and committed himself to the club.

“He has done exactly what he should do, was one of our most creative players, and because of that a club of the stature of Rangers wanted to sign him.

“David was developed here after being spotted at Stenhousemuir and had he left at the end of the season for nothing, after rejecting the offer of a new contract, it would have been financial suicide.

“You’ve got to look at the bigger picture. Not even Arsenal can keep hold of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie. That’s just the way the game is these days.”

McGlynn was equally as sanguine about his team’s failure to find the net against Dundee, who defended like demons to stem a run of three SPL defeats on the bounce.

He added: “We put in a lot of effort and created chance after chance.

“It was just one of those days in which we lacked a bit of guile and creativity as our finesse deserted us in the final third. We deserved more from the game.

“Our concentration levels in two games against Liverpool were immaculate, but we gave Dundee the massive lift of a penalty kick, which seemed as if it was the only way they were going to score.

“It put us on a bit of a dampener – and Dundee were also given a massive lift when we didn’t take our chance from the penalty spot and, again, we put ourselves in a
very difficult situation.”

The Jambos just knew it was going to be one of those days after less than two minutes when skipper Marius Zaliukas was caught the wrong side of Colin Nish and stupidly tugged at his shirt.

His bout of indiscipline cost his team dear as referee Craig Thomson pointed to the spot immediately and Conroy stepped up to confidently slot his side’s first goal in the SPL this season.

It was pretty much the last time we’d see Dundee in the Hearts box, although that is to take nothing away from the dogged determination and hard work they put in. But Barry Smith will also know that however well his side played – and keeper Douglas, in particular, was exceptional – the home side were wasteful in the extreme.

They took the game to the visitors yet time and again they left the final third without the goal their fans in the 12,446 crowd were desperate to see.

Youngster Callum Paterson showed why he has been a man in demand recently when he broke inside from the right and let rip with a 30-yard drive that was brilliantly touched over by Douglas. Paterson linked well with McGowan in 27 minutes and as the Aussie full-back burrowed into the box he was pulled by Lewis Toshney as he prepared to shoot.

The former Hibs full-back was booked and a penalty awarded, but Douglas again came to the rescue of his side, diving low to his right to get a meaty hand on Sutton’s well struck spot-kick.

The Jambos refused to be deflated by that setback, though, and Paterson again broke forward on the right, cut inside and unleashed a low shot that Douglas batted away at full stretch to his left.

The former Celtic No.1 was pilloried for his performance in the recent derby defeat at Tannadice, but he really was a man inspired as he again dived low to his left to superbly touch away a 20-yard effort from Dale Carrick that looked goal-bound all the way.

Paterson proved his versatility when he was pushed through the middle in the second half and he took up good position at the back post to connect with a teasing cross from Arvydas Novikovas, but screwed his volley wide.

Stevenson almost turned his Tynecastle return into the stuff of dreams 15 minutes after replacing Sutton when he worked space for himself on the right. But when he raced in on goal from the angle, his shot came at a decent height for Douglas to bat it round the post.

From the resulting corner Stevenson rose unchallenged after a rare error of concentration from the Dens defence, but his header was knocked off the line at the back post by Conroy and booted clear.

Brilliant low crosses along the six yard box by Stevenson and Jambos full-back Danny Grainger also went begging as groans from the home support became ever more audible.

They reached a crescendo in the last minute when a free-kick from Grainger on the right was met by Paterson but he failed to connect properly and his header was screwed wide.

Hearts defender Grainger said: “We carved out a few chances but they defended well and Rab Douglas made a few good saves.

“‘Still, it was a game we really should have won.”

Taken from the Daily Record