Hearts V Dundee (Tynecastle Park 09/02/2022)

Hearts V Dundee – Cinch Scottish Premiership (09/02/2022)

Back to Tynecastle this evening for the visit of Dundee, left Polmont station at 10 past 6 and got to Haymarket at half 6. Made the familiar walk down in to Gorgie and was met with the floodlights and popped into the club shop to pick up a programme.

Met up with my mate Anas in Foundation Plaza outside the Main Stand, was good to meet up and talk all things Hearts. Also had a mini photo shoot, as we are putting things in place for our own Hearts podcast called ‘The Men In Maroon’ and wanted some photos for that, keep an eye on my Twitter for more news on that.

Got to see the erection plaque on the Main Stand, was impressive as they have both the original from 1914 and the new one from 2017. No prematch pie for me as had my tea just before heading to the train, so got through the turnstiles with ease and showed my vaccine passport, went straight to my usual seat in the Wheatfield Stand and got there around half 7. Must say the crowd was a little sparse and low atmosphere tonight, got to think a mix of the weather, opposition and Sundays result had something to do with that.

After a shaky 20 minutes for Hearts, after some great passing and running involving Sibbick and McKay, the latter’s great vision found Simms who smashed the ball under the Dundee keeper for 1-0 to the Jam Tarts.

Is Barrie McKay ever going to get a goal? He couldn’t get any unluckier, after a great through ball from Peter Haring he chipped the keeper but the ball seemed to move in slow motion and was scrambled away. Simms almost doubled his tally but his shot from close range was saved well, Charlie Adam was his usual thuggish self following the chance and caused some handbags.

Good to see my favourite caveman Charlie Adam struggle to keep up with Baningime and Haring in midfield, as his bullying tactics failed. He was booked strangely for mouthing off to the referee and not his many number of fouls.

Although Hearts went in 1-0 up, it wasn’t the greatest of performances to be honest but a lead at half time is still a lead. The queue for food wasn’t too bad so grabbed myself a halftime steak pie.

Five minutes of the second half gone and Dundee were level, following some poor defending a shot by Rudden hit Sibbick and looped into the empty net for an own goal.

Some very strange stuff being said around me, slating Liam Boyce for being lazy and selfish, really don’t agree with that. In my opinion he works hard on and off the ball and without his goals I’m not sure we would be sitting in third.

In the 77th minute following some poor marking, Mullen found himself unmarked in the box and stabbed the ball past Gordon from close range to give Dundee the lead just before the snow started to fall.

The poor performance of the first half unfortunately continued into the second as Hearts couldn’t breakthrough against a poor Dundee side, not sure we deserved to lose but definitely didn’t deserve to win. Think some work is needed on set pieces as for not the first time when we had a throw there was no movement and the ball kept going backwards, and too many corners were not beating the first man.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – Season Ticket

Programme Price – £4 (Double edition)

Programme Rating – 8/10

Refreshments – 8/10

Stadium Facilities – 7/10

Getting To Stadium – 8/10

Stadium Rating – 9/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Hearts against Dundee.

Daz Carding