Robbie Neilson challenges Hearts to react after losing perfect record at Dunfermline

Hearts and Dunfermline managers Robbie Neilson and Stevie Crawford during the Scottish Championship match at East End Park.

A 2-1 defeat at East End Park left Neilson’s side third in the Scottish Championship table as their opponents strode three points clear at the top having played one game more.

Dom Thomas and Euan Murray put Dunfermline 2-0 ahead in front of the BBC Scotland cameras before Hearts defender Stephen Kingsley halved the deficit in the closing stages.

Dunfermline hung on to increase their unbeaten run to nine games, and Neilson is eager to see how his players respond against Alloa on Tuesday night at Tynecastle Park.

"It’s part and parcel of the game. We are trying to win a league and we are going to lose games,” he said. “We’ve had a fantastic start of the season, won eight on the bounce and did really well in some big games.

"We’ve lost here and it’s about how we react to it. We can throw the toys out or we can say: ‘We created chances and didn’t take them and lost two goals.’ If you do that, you lose the game. It’s part of football.

"Dunfermline will be like us this season. They will win games and lose games. It’s about who is going to win games consistently.”

Hearts must wait to see whether Austrian midfielder Peter Haring is fit enough to play against Alloa. Neilson decided against using the player at East End Park because of a hamstring complaint.

"Peter had a wee issue with his hamstring the other day. He was on the bench but the worry was that if we put him on at some point and he got injured then we could struggle without another substitute.

"Over the next couple of days he will train and we will see how he is for the game against Alloa on Tuesday.”

Dunfermline manager Stevie Crawford was delighted with his team’s performance.

"Both teams were fairly open and the second half was great for us. Dom scored his first goal and then combined with Euan Murray,” he said.

"What we showed was a respect [towards Hearts] but a belief in ourselves. That’s important to me.”

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