Heart of Midlothian 1-0 Dundee

Hearts put their Dundee hoodoo to bed on Wednesday night as a late John Sutton winner secured a 1-0 victory at Tynecastle.

The Jambos were dominant from start to finish, but a goalless draw was looming until subsitute Sutton's diving header sealed the three points with just minutes remaining.

The gaffer made two changes to the side that triumphed at Easter Road on Saturday, with the suspended Scott Robinson making way for Ryan Stevenson. Meanwhile, there was a first senior start for academy youngster Billy King as he lined up next to Michael Ngoo and Jamie Walker in attack.

Hearts started brightly as the youngsters, whom earned so many plaudits at the weekend, were dominant and full of energy as they pegged the visitors back for large periods.

Walker came within inches of opening the scoring on 15 minutes after a surging run into the box enabled him to tee up Ngoo.
The on-loan striker saw his shot blocked, before Douglas somehow got a hand on Walker's on the goal line.

The Dees barely mustered a chance during the opening 45 minutes as Hearts, lead by the impressive trio of Jason Holt, Callum Tapping and King, passed the ball impressively from back to front.

Ngoo then saw himself denied by the cross bar shortly before half time as he leapt to steer a King cross off the goal frame.

The second half continued in the same fashion as the visitors sat deep in a bid to frustrate their hosts. Walker and King continued to impressive in their wide roles, whilst Holt and Tapping hardly put a foot wrong in central midfield.

The former nearly opened the scoring when he unleashed a 25 yard which cannoned off the crossbar, whilst an unmarked King spurned the best opportunity of the game soon after when he sent the ball wide from six yards out.

The Gorgie side continued to push forward, but appeared to fade as the tie entered the final fifteen minutes. With the visitors digging in, a goalless draw seemed inevitable.

An inspired double substitution by McGlynn, however, proved decisive. Sutton and Aryvdas Novikovas entered the fray with five minutes remaining and wasted little time in making an impact.

Novikovas picked up a long ball on the left side and, despite appearing to take a heavy touch, regained his composure before delivering a pinpoint cross to the back post which enabled Sutton to fire in the winner with a diving header.

Novikovas then should have made it two in injury time as he poked a Ngoo cross wide at the back post, but it mattered little as
Hearts survived a couple of late Dundee attacks to secure three much needed points.

Hearts: Macdonald; Mullen, Webster, Zaliukas, Wilson; Holt (Sutton 85), Tapping, Stevenson; B.King (Novikovas 84), Ngoo, Walker (Driver 90). Subs not used: Ridgers, McGowan, Taouil, Barr.

Dundee: Douglas; Irvine, Toshney, Gallagher, Easton; Riley (McBride 75), Davidson, McAllister, Harkins; J. Baird, Nish. Subs not used: A. Baird, Lockwood, Conroy, McGregor, Stewart, Benedictus.

Referee: Crawford Allan

Top man: Callum Tapping

Hearts World