Hearts staged a dramatic late comeback to down 10-man Dundee 2-1 at Tynecastle Park in the pair’s latest Premiership meeting.
The game was delayed in the first half due to a serious injury for Dens Park forward Joe Westley before the visitors struck through Bradley Fink. Josh McPake was denied in Hearts’ first big chance following half-time as home pressure was ramped up. Claudio Braga levelled from the penalty spot after Finlay Robertson turned the second Dundee player stretchered off in the game after a lower leg injury. Zan Besir was sent off late on for the away side and Sabah Kerjota punished that with a 97th minute winner. Hearts face Stenhousemuir next on Premier Sports Cup quarter-final duty while Dundee are out of commission until September 19th’s league match versus Motherwell.
Mood was high in Gorgie after a midweek win against Hibs. Tomas Magnusson being the only change for injured Blair Spittal - who now faces months out with ankle problem sustained during Edinburgh derby success - spoke to how happy head coach Wouter Vrancken was with his side. They’d made it seven games unbeaten across all competitions, and while Spittal’s longer term omission was a dampener, it provided others in midfield a challenge to step up with Tom Renaud also nursing an ankle issue over the foreseeable.
Dundee - managed by ex-Hearts captain Steven Pressley - are the last side to have won at Tynecastle on league duty. A game that feels a lifetime ago, it brought the curtain down on Neil Critchley’s ill-fated Hearts tenure, back in April 2025. Much has changed since then and the Dark Blues now travelled to a side who were title contenders last term rather than bottom six battlers.
Proceedings got off to an unfortunate start with Dundee’s Westley stretchered off with a head brace on after a nasty collision in the Hearts penalty area. He was warmly applauded by home and away fans with the game delayed while medics treated the player. It took a little bit of time for the game to get going after that but it was Dundee who struck when it did. Home boss Vrancken would no doubt be miffed by the ease in which his side were opened up, an Imari Samuels pass down the right-hand side left Hearts open and Fink did the rest. Ethan Hamilton this time punished an element of slackness from those in maroon, Magnusson robbed of possession, and the midfielder’s drilled effort from outside the box crept narrowly wide.
They weren’t making goalkeeper Owen Goodman work but the hosts were beginning to dictate possession and much of it was in Dundee’s half. A McPake cross was deflected over the crossbar but that was close as they’d come before ex-Jambo Alan Forrest was motoring up the park on a dangerous Dee counter during his first match against his ex-side since leaving at last season’s end. With this being their 12th game of the season already, perhaps it was little surprise that Hearts looked a touch jaded, most things they tried being a yard off the pace.
Braga had two efforts go close though and there was a feeling that a leveller could be coming. It didn’t come but frustrations grew inside the home end when Dundee’s Ryan Finnigan’s tackle on right-back Jordi Altena only drew a yellow card from referee Chris Graham, first 45 proceedings ending after 11 minutes worth of stoppages, after the Dark Blues man injured himself during the tackle, subsequently taken off. McPake was finally in behind after team returned to action and the derby match-winner forced a good low save from Goodman with his drilled shot towards the corner.
That leveller was needed as up the other end Dundee went, clipping the crossbar, after Hearts got caught in possession and allowed Jack Moorhouse a pop from 20 yards out. Braga’s audacious overhead kick couldn’t break Dundee’s resolve but his next low effort, and attacks from substitute duo Kerjota and JJ Williams brought Hearts closer to the leveller they craved. They eventually got it when Graham awarded a penalty, following a VAR review, after a Christian Borchgrevink cross hit defender Owen Bevan’s arm, Braga converting.
More injury woe for Dundee broke up the game before the penalty strike after Robertson went down with a nasty-looking leg problem and it meant there was still plenty of time for Hearts to fine a winner. VAR was there again with Besir sent packing for a reckless challenge on McPake, the home side piling on the pressure, and finding a dramatic second goal when Kerjota drilled a low effort into the bottom corner. Here’s how we rated the Hearts players.
The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly
1. Beau Reus - 6/10
Not a lot could be done with the goal. Quiet day where all basics were done well. | SNS Group
2. Jordi Altena - 6/10
Fink's effort comes through a long ball down his side. Outside that he showed attacking intent and defending was good. Picked off a couple of times in defence but that's going to happen with how high he's playing. Subbed on the hour. | SNS Group
3. Oisin McEntee - 5/10
Left on his heels at the opener. The man tasked with starting play from the back before subbed at the break. | SNS Group
4. Stuart Findlay - 7/10
Used his pace well to cut out Fink's threat and growing in importance on the ball. Lead the backline well. | SNS Group