All you need is Lovell

Hearts 1 Dundee 2 After this performance, Dundee can no longer be regarded as Scottish football's circus act. In winning their first away Premierleague match of the season, Jim Duffy's side proved they can be organised and entertaining, as two Steve Lovell goals eased them two places up the table.

Whereas, under Ivano Bonetti, the Dens Park side played without a safety net, Duffy has installed a muscular defence, a workmanlike midfield, and an incisive attack. It was more than enough to inflict on Hearts a second home defeat in six days, but this was an evenly- balanced game from which both sides emerged with credit.

"I thought it was a great game," agreed Duffy. "Hearts played a very open game and I felt the movement of our players was inventive. I'm delighted with the three points."

Tellingly, Hearts head coach Craig Levein took a similar view. "I can't be too critical of the way we went forward," he said. "On another afternoon we might have got three or four goals."

After watching his side concede four first-half goals to Celtic at the same venue last Sunday, Levein admitted he was disappointed at the slip-shod manner of some of Hearts' early defending.

True, his rearguard had their hands full against a very lively Dundee front three, but the careless manner in which Steven Pressley gave the ball away to Nacho Novo in the 13th minute nearly cost his side dear as the former Raith Rovers striker went on to hit the crossbar with his shot.

By that time Hearts should have been one ahead. Phil Stamp, returning to the midfield, sent over a low cross from the right in the first minute which Mark de Vries mis-hit horribly in front of the goal. The huge striker has been rattling in the goals for Hearts, but can often look clumsy when the ball arrives at his feet.

The home side, taking the game to the opposition, forced a number of corners on both sides of the pitch, but, despite the clever deliveries of Jean-Louis Valois and the presence of de Vries, Pressley and Kevin McKenna in the box, the more potent threat came at the other end when Novo hit the bar.

The game had settled into a pattern of attack and counter-attack when Dundee took the lead in the 25th minute and all three attackers were involved.

Novo, who has been a fine acquisition for the Dens Park side, fed Fabian Caballero on the right hand side of the box. The Argentinian, whose name inspires a Tayside chorus, worked his way cleverly to the line before scooping the ball invitingly across the goal for Lovell to nod easily into the Hearts net. Levein's side, which had looked very difficult to break down at Tynecastle prior to Celtic's visit, could have been two behind just seconds later, but Novo, a constant thorn in their side, saw his shot take the slightest of deflections and go past the post for a corner.

Aware of their escape, Hearts stepped up the tempo and de Vries and McKenna were off target with efforts before Dundee had a remarkable escape in the 31st minute.

Lee Wilkie, who was needing every centimetre of his height to marshall de Vries, fouled Scott Severin just outside the Dundee box, setting up a perfect free-kick opportunity for Valois. The French midfielder took it expertly, curving the ball round the Dundee wall but on to the crossbar. It rebounded to Simmons who hit Julian Speroni's left-hand post with a 10-yard shot and, with the crowd on its feet, the ball rebounded into the grateful arms of the goalkeeper, another of Dundee's expatriate Argentine community.

Although not the most graceful of games, there was plenty of endeavour and attacking intent to distract both sets of spectators from the chill as the sun dipped behind the Gorgie Stand to mark the start of the second half.

Hearts, still forcing a regular stream of corners, got another in the 50th minute and this time Pressley got a downward header on Valois's delivery from the right but his defensive partner McKenna lifted the ball over the bar.

No sooner had that danger been cleared than Cabellero and Novo combined in the Hearts' penalty area. The nippy Spaniard's shot was blocked but the ball fell to Barry Smith, and the Dundee captain was just wide with his well struck effort.

Hitherto, Hearts' corners had all come from their own efforts, but they were handed a gift in the 60th minute when Tom Hutchinson's woeful long pass-back eluded Speroni.

The corner from Valois was again good, and this time McKenna met it on the full to score his first goal of the season. Just as had happened in the first half, this time Hearts should have had a second immediately afterwards.

This time Jonay Hernandez gave the ball away to Stamp, but when the stocky midfielder let fire inside the box his shot was blocked.

The match could not have been more evenly balanced, but when the separating goal arrived it was fitting that it was provided by the most dangerous player on the pitch.

Novo, who had an outstanding game for Dundee, set up the young Englishman Lovell and he slipped it past Roddy McKenzie for his second goal of the match, and fourth of the season. Despite only being 21, Lovell has already done the rounds of the English lower divisions with spells at Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Exeter and Sheffield United. He was on the verge of joining QPR when Duffy signed him at the start of the season.

The striker could have scored a third, but his header was too high as the game ended in a ferocious hailstorm.

There were further chances at both ends, but Dundee, with their extra sharpness up front, just about deserved their first away league game of the season.

McKenzie Maybury McKenna Pressley McMullan Stamp Severin Simmons Valois Wales De Vries Speroni Mackay Wilkie Hutchinson Hernandez Smith Brady Rae Lovell Novo Caballero Subs: Twaddle for Simmons 67; Kirk for Maybury 83; Janczyk for De Vries 83.

Not used: Gordon, Webster.

Booked: Stamp 24.

Referee: J Underhill.

Subs not used: Langfield, Khizanishvili, Nemsadze, Mair, Sara.

Booked: Lovell 54.

Attendance: 10,169.

Copyright 2002
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