Neilson’s brave switch does the trick for Hearts
Substitution sparks Gorgie victory
THERE was a moment just short of the hour-mark yesterday when Tynecastle became drenched in frustration and Robbie Neilson and his players were squirming under the microscope.
As Hearts toiled to dispose of a Dundee team who sit bottom of the Premiership and without a victory since the opening day of the season, the fans could bite their tongues no longer.
A deafening chorus of boos echoed around the stadium as Neilson opted to replace Tony Watt with Robbie Muirhead on 57 minutes. On the face of it, it made no sense.
It came at a time when Dundee were in the ascendancy. By that point, they had hit the woodwork four times and it seemed only a matter of time before they found a breakthrough.
But, just over 10 minutes later, Callum Paterson stepped up to save the day. It was not the elasticity of his arms on this occasion, as it was for Scotland at Hampden last week, but his ability to use his head.
It was no small irony that Paterson rose to head in Muirhead’s free-kick, vindicating Neilson’s change. ‘You have to make tough decisions,’ said Neilson. ‘They might not be popular, but I believed the chance would give us a better foothold in the game and I think that was proved correct.
‘Fans are entitled to voice their opinions. You have to accept it and be big enough to deal with it. I’m proud of how the players responded in a very difficult situation.’
The first half was scrappy, with both teams struggling to carve out any clear-cut opportunities.
Watt flashed a header narrowly over the crossbar on 11 minutes and then also blazed a shot over just two minutes later after being teed-up by strike partner Conor Sammon.
Dundee rarely threatened in the first half. They were far too direct with their service to the diminutive front pairing of Faissal El Bakhtaoui and Yordi Teijsse — two strikers whose stature requires the ball played to feet rather than lumped aimlessly upfield.
Tom Hateley went closest for the visitors, his free-kick clipping the top of the crossbar on 21 minutes.
Sammon then squandered Hearts’ best chance of the opening period. On 34 minutes, Paterson whipped a delicious cross in between the Dundee defence and goalkeeper Scott Bain.
Sammon failed to show any anticipation, though, and did not follow the ball in for what would have been a simple tap-in at the far post.
Bain then made a good diving save to deny Arnaud Djoum, with Paterson sending a header over from Don Cowie’s resulting corner in what was the last action of the first half.
Dundee were far brighter at the start of the second period, thanks largely to El Bakhtaoui dropping deeper to collect the ball. It helped link the lines of midfield and attack, rather than the disjointed showing in the first half.
Hateley hit the woodwork for a second time on 47 minutes, his rasping shot thudding against Jack Hamilton’s right-hand post.
Just three minutes later, Kostadin Gadzhalov rose to meet Hateley’s corner. It was a free header and Tynecastle held its breath, but the Bulgarian centre-half’s effort came crashing back off the bar.
Hearts had been poor and Neilson’s decision to take off Watt, who had by far outshone Sammon in attack, was met with unanimous disapproval.
Dundee were visibly growing in confidence and it seemed only a matter of time before they opened the scoring, particularly when they hit the woodwork for a fourth time through Teijsse’s snapshot.
But then came the sucker punch from Hearts on 68 minutes. Paul McGowan was booked for a clumsy foul on Igor Rossi.
Muirhead’s free-kick was inviting and, as he had done at countless set-pieces over the course of the afternoon, Paterson rose powerfully to bullet a header back across Bain and into the bottom corner.
Hearts wrapped the game up in the 89th minute.
Jamie Walker crafted a yard of space down the right and centred the ball for Bjorn Johnsen to score his first goal for the club by shooting past Bain from close range.