Scotland goalkeeper pulled off a Premiership moment to remember at Dens Park

People watch social media clips of it on endless repeat, open-mouthed and dumbfounded at the apparent defiance of physics, gravity and general logic. Craig Gordon is an expert in going against the grain as a 43-year-old professional goalkeeper, but even he surprised himself in the dying seconds at Dens Park on Sunday. His quite miraculous save from Dundee striker Emile Acquah is astounding from every angle. Behind the goal is, without doubt, the best vantage point.

The Hearts keeper changed direction and sprung to his left to stretch out his left arm and somehow claw Acquah’s header almost out of the net at the post. As his opponent set off to begin celebrating a likely equalising goal, Gordon pulled off one of the most stupefying saves of his long career to preserve his team’s 1-0 lead. A match-winning stop to define a potentially-historic season. If Hearts do indeed go on to win the Scottish Premiership, that moment will be as pivotal and memorable as any.

Fans spent Sunday night and Monday viewing Sky Sports footage of Gordon’s brilliance almost on a loop on mobile phones. A few spare minutes at work? Let’s watch big Craig’s save again. Waiting on the kids at school? Let’s watch big Craig’s save again. Urgent tasks to be taking care of? Never mind, let’s watch big Craig’s save again. It had that captivating effect. Gordon has refused to give in to broken legs, Scotland omissions, goalkeeping rivals and father time for many years. Those few seconds at Dens encapsulated this defiant enigma of a man.

Without a Hearts appearance all season, he climbed off the substitutes’ bench when first-choice keeper Alexander Schwolow was red-carded on 45 minutes. Despite the miserable and wet conditions, and the fact he has seen it all in a long and successful career, Gordon looked like a man possessed taking his place in goal for his first Hearts appearance of the campaign. He beat away a free-kick by Dundee’s Cam Congreve right away and made a couple of other stops in the second half before leaping like a cat to thwart Acquah in the final seconds.

“I think it’s as good a save as I’ve made. I surprised myself when it stayed out,” he admitted. “Could it be one of the biggest saves in my career? Possibly. Certainly in the context of that game it was about getting another three points and keeping our run going. It kept the gap at the top of the league. I saw it early, managed to change direction, got a great push and just managed to get my fingertips to it to claw it back off the line. I don’t think there have been too many better in my career. I’m not surprised the Dundee striker went to celebrate because I thought it was in myself.

“You never know unless you go for it, I just threw everything I had to try to keep it out. I knew it was the very end of the game and one more save would get us over the line. They were always going to get a moment, they were putting a lot of balls into the box so something was going to fall eventually. I’m just glad I was equal to it.”

The instant it became clear that Schwolow’s challenge on the Dundee forward Tony Yogane would be reviewed by VAR, Gordon sprung into action. Off came the sub’s jacket and on went the gloves. Referee Ryan Lee brandished a red card at the German and, whilst doubtless feeling for his colleague, Gordon couldn’t get out of the dugout quickly enough. He was as sharp as he’s ever been, even in the twilight of his career.

“The longer the VAR check was taking, you get the feeling that’s what's going to happen,” he recalled. “So I had my jacket off on the bench and getting ready to face the free-kick [from Congreve]. That’s the hardest part, when you’ve not touched the ball for an hour since the end of the warm-up. Then you’re straight on potentially to make a save. It was good to do that and it was good to be back out there again.

“I’ve felt good in training, I felt ready so it was about just playing my usual game. The timing of it helped me because if it was 10 minutes to go you’re cold. It was nice to get that little bit of time, come back in then go out with Gall to get ready for the second half. I’ve come on a few times in my career and had to deal with situations. I was calm and ready to play.

“With the red card on Sunday we had to dig deep and defend in the second half. Everyone threw their bodies in front of everything, won the headers they needed to. Jamie McCart came in and I thought he defended the back post really well when we needed him to. It was just an all-round gritty performance and you need those to win three points sometimes. It says everything that we managed to get over the line. It’s a very together group of players.

“We have seen it numerous times this season, everyone is stepping up when they need to. Jamie was an example of that, coming in at left-back, not his usual position, but he defended really well. When we needed everyone off the bench they made a difference and helped us get through. Everyone is stepping up and it was my turn on Sunday. That’s my first game of the season, I managed to help the team out and everyone is doing the same.”

At full-time, he was shoved in front of the jubilant away end to take supporters’ applause. “Cammy [Devlin] chucked me in front of them! He’s always there at the celebrations and it was a great moment,” smiled Gordon. “Obviously, I’ve not played a lot in recent times but it was nice. It was brilliant. With the numbers we took to Dundee, they filled the away and the bit of the main stand as well. They gave us great backing. Even up the other end I could hear them helping the team get through the second half. It was brilliant to send them home happy.”

He is now preparing for another outing on Wednesday. Schwolow will serve a one-match suspension as a result of his dismissal, so Gordon will keep goal for Hearts against St Mirren. There is no lack of motivation as the Premiership leaders seek another victory. “We just need to keep winning matches, keep going. There’s still an awful long way to go so you just have to keep winning,” acknowledged Gordon.

“We have another game on Wednesday so it’s about recovering and going again trying to win another one. Has it been frustrating? Not really because the team has been doing well. I feel like I have been helping, I have been part of things. In training I’ve been doing the best I can to help prepare the team. I feel I have been a part of it, not out on the pitch but in training games doing everything I can to help the team out. I don’t think anyone is frustrated. Everyone has been given opportunities and, when they have, more often than not they’ve taken them.”