Record-breakers, but Naismith wants more
HEARTS 3 Vargas (35), Forrest (53), Shankland (90) DUNDEE 0
Steven Naismith hailed his Hearts players after they amassed their biggest topflight points tally in 18 years with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Dundee.
The Gorgie side shone in the sun at a sweltering Tynecastle as they moved on to 66 points with two games left to play.
Only the class of 2006, which split the Old Firm, can better that feat after they collected 74 in a memorable campaign.
Kenneth Vargas opened the scoring in the first half before Alan Forrest and Lawrence Shankland – who took his scoring tally for club and Scotland to 30 for the season – added the gloss.
Asked about the points record, Naismith, whose side travel to St Mirren on Wednesday before hosting Rangers next weekend, said: “That’s really good, that is a good measure of us.
“We’ve had a good season but if you focus on us and how we go about winning games it’s a good marker, but I want to get to 70. It’s a realistic goal, it’s something we can do.
“It shows the drive the squad’s got that we put on the performance we did today to get the three points.”
Naismith also singled out Barrie Mckay after the winger, making only his third league start in an injury-plagued season, supplied two assists.
He added: “He’s a brilliant asset to have. Baz isn’t fit, you can see that, he’s been a long time out.
“He’s got unbelievable quality and he’s good at managing himself within that game and lasting 80 minutes.
“He started against Livingston and came up with some big moments. Today his quality’s good again.
“What we get out of him this season is a bonus. He’ll be really important next season.”
With third place and European group stage football sewn up, the Hearts supporters were in party mood at Tynecastle.
Beach balls held up play briefly at the start of the game as the maroon-clad hordes revelled in the thought of trips to the continent.
Hearts could have been ahead after only six minutes but Ryan Astley made a goalsaving intervention just as Cammy Devlin was about to pull the trigger from six yards.
Winger Forrest then had a deflected effort saved before Dundee keeper Jon Mccracken kept Vargas’ header out.
It was no surprise when Hearts went ahead in the 35th minute through Vargas.
The Costa Rican peeled off into space at the back post and wrapped his foot around Barrie Mckay’s cross to volley home.
Dundee thought they had been given a chance to level five minutes later when Stephen Kingsley was penalised for handball from a fierce Lyall Cameron shot from the edge of the area.
Kingsley was convinced the ball hit his chest and he was proved right after Nick Walsh overturned his decision following a VAR review.
Hearts doubled their lead in the 53rd minute and again it was Mckay with the assist.
The winger’s piercing pass split the Dundee reargard.
Forrest got to the ball before Mccracken and slid the ball into the empty net.
Hearts gave highly-rated teenager James Wilson his league debut from the bench and he r came close to marking his appearance with a goal.
The 17-year-old whipped a shot towards the near post, forcing Mccracken to push the effort behind for a corner.
Shankland chipped in with his 29th club goal of the campaign in the 90th minute with a left-footed drive after being found by substitute Scott Fraser.