By Dundeefc.net
April 24 2002

SAT 1ST APRIL

DUNDEE 0
Hearts 0

Att:6,291

Douglas Maddison, Ireland, Tweed, Smith Rae, Boyack, Billio, Robertson Grady, Falconer

Subs:
Artero (for Billio), Wilkie (for Robertson), Annand (for Grady), Bayne, Langfield

A large crowd was inside Dens for the start of todays match and some doubt must be cast over the official attendance of 6,291as there appeared to be about 2000 more than that.

A surprise in the Dundee squad was the omission of Francisco Luna who looked extremely sharp at McDiarmid last week.

Dundee surged forward in the early stages and had the visitors on the back foot for a long period.

It looked ominous for the visitors as Dundee went out with all guns blazing and after just 55 seconds Gordan Petric lost his footing and allowed Willie Falconer a clear run on goal from Hugh Robertson's ball but he blazed wildly wide of the mark.

Falconer then should have scored in the fifth minute when Patrizio Billio's cross into the box had Hearts' goalkeeper Gills Rousset in all kinds of trouble in the air and Thomas Flogel had to clear the striker's header.

James Grady then had two clear cut scoring opportunities
The first in fifteen minutes when he latched onto Falconer's head flick and surged past Pressley, finding himself clean through on goal but could not find the shot that would beat Hearts 'keeper Gilles Rousset who was well placed to make a save.
Little over a minute later he got on the end of Boyack's superb cross only to see his contact with the ball spin agonisingly wide from point blank range.

In the 17th minute Hearts' midfielder Stephen Fulton blocked Steven Tweed's goalbound effort, and then a minute later at the other end Dundee goalkeeper Robert Douglas saved Lee Makle's stinging 25-yard effort.

Hearts saw a good passing move between Colin Cameron and Darren Jackson hand Gary Wales the chance of a goal. Dundee goalkeeper Rob Douglas did well to save the shot to his left.

The visitors almost opened the scoring five minutes before the break. A neat move saw Darren Jackson play an incisive ball to Stephen Fulton who lacked precision and smacked his shot across the face of goal.

The second half was again spattered with chances for both sides. Just five minutes into the second period Dundee had another great chance to take the game by the scruff of the neck. A Boyack cross headed on by Willie Falconer set up Gavin Rae who shot over the bar from just outside the six yard box.

As time ran out the home support got a little nervy - hardly surprising after the last minute counters which have been a feature of Dundee's matches this season but the only shaky moment saw Barry Smith make a great block from Simpon's edge of the box free kick.

New defender Craig Ireland helped his team hang onto a point ten minutes before time. He blocked an ominous looking Colin Cameron effort and then in the final moments got behind a Fitzroy Simpson free-kick which looked to be heading goalward.

Dundee are still in eighth spot in the Scottish Premier League table with 28 points from 28 games. However, the Dee are still looking for their second win at Dens Park this season.

Dundee squandered a number of glorious chances to dent Hearts' European dreams but they produced a display to suggest the dressing room was united behind troubled manager Jocky Scott.

One thing that cannot go un-noted is the diving skills of the Hearts players today - on 3 occassions players went down in theatrical fashion claiming to have been hit in the face. Not once did the referee award a free kick to them , but neither did he book them for diving.