Duffy's underdogs bite back

(0-0)

A GUTSY display at Dens Park garnered another much-needed point for Dundee. Jim Duffy's side took advantage of Hearts' continuing failure to turn possession into goals, and had John Sutton not spurned a glorious second half chance, they could have recorded rare back-to-back wins.

The home side got a boost on Friday when Lee Wilkie, improbably linked with Monaco but definitely wanted by Craig Levein at Leicester City, opted to sign a new twoyear contract. A potential new partner for him at the centre of the Dens Park defence, Joel Kitamirike, was on the bench.

The former England under-17 international previously played under Duffy in the Chelsea youth team.

Tom McManus, who scored on his debut against Inverness Caley the previous Saturday, was given a second start for the home side, but often looked lost as the flow of the game went increasingly against Dundee in the first half. Hearts, with loan signing Lee Miller making his first league start, finally looked in determined mood after a series of uninspired first-half performances.

The main problem for the visitors has been the lack of a prolific striker, and as the half wore on this failing once again manifested itself. Ramon Pereira, who was playing wide left but is also a front man, and Dennis Wyness both have fast feet which enables them to jig past defenders, but they lack the finishing flourish.

It took just four minutes for Wyness, who has been an enigma since arriving at Tynecastle, to demonstrate this as he wriggled cleverly into the box before blasting the ball over the bar with only Derek Soutar to beat.

The visitors were worrying Dundee down the left side, and Wyness had another opportunity after Jamie McAllister and Pereira set him up, but his first touch was clumsy and his shot was blocked.

Dundee, with a diamond formation in midfield supported by two attacking full backs in Steven Robb and Steven McNally, were eager to counter-attack despite being out-muscled. They had the two best chances of the half in a purple spell on both sides of the 20-minute mark, and Hearts were lucky to survive both attacks.

First, the impressive Neil Barrett dispossessed McAllister, who had received a hospital pass on the edge of the visitors' box. The midfielder took the ball forward before cutting back to McManus, but the cheers of the home crowd proved premature as the ball went into the side-netting. Eight minutes later Fabian Caballero, under pressure in the Hearts box, shot weakly at Craig Gordon when just to his right the unmarked Barrett was screaming for the ball.

The last 15 minutes of the half were almost implausibly one-sided given that only 12 points separated the sides, but for all that the ball was played in, out, and across the Dundee box, all the visitors had to show for their endeavours were a couple of blocked Paul Hartley shots.

Eight minutes into the second period Dundee made them pay. Sutton, having an otherwise quiet game behind the strikers, won possession in the centre of the park and his release of Mark Fotheringham and Caballero brought a corner. When the set-piece came across McManus had an effort blocked by Gordon but the ball fell to the Argentinian and, in his second spell at Dens, he scored his first goal for 20 months.

Robb, whose reputation continues to grow, very nearly made it two when, after beating Robbie Neilson, he sent a fierce shot over the bar, but during their shakiest period of the match Hearts equalised.

A frustrated John Robertson had sent Joe Hamill on for Pereira in the 58th minute, and seconds later, with his first touch of the ball, the substitute scored. McAllister crossed from the left, Miller headed the ball down, and Hamill slid it past Soutar.

With the temperature dipping by the second, Dundee got the bit between their teeth and should have regained the lead in the 70th minute. Fotheringham took a corner which was knocked straight into the path of Sutton by Wilkie, but the Celtic striker's brother howlingly struck the ball over the bar from eight yards.

Hamill later had a great effort for Hearts which just missed the target, but by then most of the frozen souls in the ground had settled for a draw.

Soutar McNally Wilkie Macdonald Robb Barrett Smith Fotheringham Sutton McManus Caballero

Subs: Robertson for McManus 76 Not used: Jack, Mann, Larsen, Credeira, Clark, Kitamirike.

Referee: W Young.

Gordon Neilson Pressley Webster McAllister McFarlane Stamp Hartley Pereira Miller Wyness

Subs: Hamill for Pereira 58, Weir for Wyness 59, Simmons for McFarlane 70.

Not used: Moilanen, McKenna, Berra, Stewart.

Booked: Stamp 72, McAllister 73, Miller 89.

Attendance: 5,780.

FAST FOOTBALL

Fair result? Absolutely.

Hearts had most of the possession but were powderpuff in front of goal. Dundee had the better of the chances, even in the first half when they were outplayed.

Entertainment value? An open encounter, although neither goalkeeper was particularly forced to earn his corn. Plus marks overall.

Talking point: The portly experience of Willie Young kept contentious moments at a minimum. Well done the non-baptist in the black.

Man of the match: Officially went to Fabian Caballero, who scored his first goal for 20 months and worked hard. But young Dundee full-backs Steven Robb and Steven McNally were both excellent, with the former getting the nod.

Jim Duffy: "It's a measure of our improvement that a few weeks ago I would have been jumping though hoops after a draw with Hearts. I'm disappointed because we missed a few chances, but we played well today."

John Robertson: "We had to make our first-half domination count, and didn't. We passed the ball really well, but we need an end product. We have to find goal scorers."