Dundee 1 Hearts 0

Lock has the key to a home win

From EWAN SMITH at Dens Park
Published: 03rd November 2012
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DUNDEE finally ended an agonising three-month wait for their first home SPL victory since returning to the top flight.

Amazingly, Barry Smith’s side have now taken SIX points off the Jambos... and just ONE off the rest of their rivals.

A stunning Matt Lockwood free-kick was all that could separate the two teams — but in all honesty the gulf was far greater than that.

However, the cries of relief from the home supporters reverberated around Dens Park as Dundee finally got a handle on life in the SPL.

The monkey is firmly off the back after this victory.

And, whisper it, but on the evidence of this performance they may no longer be the whipping boys of the top 12.

Hearts looked a pale shadow of the side expected to fight it out at the top end of the table.

Meanwhile, Dundee battled and scrapped to command every single inch of the Dens Park turf.

They certainly didn’t look like a side devoid of any confidence or absolutely weighed down by the huge burden of propping up the SPL, sitting with a negative goal difference of 18 going into this one.

In fact, they looked like a team inspired, with a point to prove against their much-fancied visitors.

But for all their fight and determination, Dundee were still vulnerable to the odd clanger and could easily have gifted Hearts the lead after just ten minutes.

Dark Blues keeper Rab Douglas raced out of his penalty box for what should have been a routine clearance only to blast the ball off team-mate Kyle Benedictus’ back.

The ball then spun beyond a relieved Douglas before bouncing wide to leave Hearts with just a corner.

That proved to be a pivotal moment for the hosts, who took the lead 11 minutes later.

Gary Irvine went on a marauding run down the right flank but was pushed to the deck by Marius Zaliukas.

The home fans protested furiously for a penalty and a card to be shown to the Lithuanian defender but had to settle for no card and a free-kick.

But they need not have worried as Lockwood stepped up to unleash an unstoppable left-foot strike into the keeper’s top right corner.

Hearts tried to find a way back into the game but were limited to shots from distance by a dogged Dundee defence.

Their best first-half chance fell to Medhi Taouil, with the Moroccan midfielder sending in a swerving, dipping 30-yard effort that was well parried wide by Douglas.

Then, after 34 minutes, the Dark Blues No1 also did well to get down to turn away a 25-yard strike from Arvydas Novikovas.

But it was the visitors who were the most relieved side at the interval as they so nearly fell further behind after 42 minutes. Lockwood’s long ball out of defence was superbly dummied by Steven Milne to allow strike partner Colin Nish to run one-on-one with keeper Jamie MacDonald.

Nish sped past MacDonald and fired in a low effort that was blocked by Zaliukas on the line.

Hearts shuffled the pack in the second half, bringing on a player once considered to be their ace card — Andrew Driver — to take over from Scott Robinson.

But Driver was forced to defend as Dundee tried to find a killer second.

And only a last-ditch block from Andy Webster prevented that from happening after 63 minutes after Nish made space for his 18-yard attempt.

Hearts were clinging on for dear life and Dundee fully deserved to be edging towards a vital three points.

They passed up another chance after 71 minutes as sub John Baird broke clear of the Jambos defence and blasted a shot from close in.

But again Jamie MacDonald was the hero as he turned the ball round for a corner.

Then from the resultant Jim McAlister set-piece, Declan Gallagher diverted a shot just inches wide of the target.

Hearts were now looking like a beaten side and offered very little in the way of an attacking threat.

They rarely ventured up the park and defender Webster missed their best chance for a leveller when he snatched at a Danny Grainger corner to send a strike harmlessly wide.

Webster held his head in his hands in despair, as Dundee raised theirs in delight over that first home win.