Hearts comfortably defeated Dundee 3-0 at Tynecastle Park on Saturday afternoon.
Kenneth Vargas opened the scoring on 35 minutes, turning home Barrie McKay’s back post cross, before Alan Forrest doubled the lead shortly after the interval, with McKay again the provider. Lawrence Shankland rounded off the scoring in stoppage time to add further gloss to the scoreline.
Steven Naismith made three changes for the visit of the Dens Park side. Craig Gordon returned in goal, meanwhile Barrie McKay and Alan Forrest returned on the wing.
There was a real party atmosphere in Gorgie, with the Jambos having secured European group stage football last weekend and it was a bright start from the men in maroon, who almost went ahead on 6 minutes.
A neat through ball from Dexter Lembikisa picked out Vargas, who had timed his run to perfection. The Costa Rican attempted to cut the ball back for Alan Forrest, but it was an excellent sliding challenge from Ryan Astley to stop a certain goal.
Forrest was involved again on 18 minutes, when cutting in off the right wing and firing a low shot on goal, it looked to take a deflection on route and ended up a routine save for Jon McCracken in the Dundee goal.
The Dee stopper produced a far better save no more than 60 seconds later after Lawrence Shankland found a nice pocket of space on the right-hand side of the box, the skipper dinked a delicate cross to the back post for Vargas, he connected well, but McCracken produced an excellent reaction save to beat his header away from goal.
The Jambos opened the scoring ten minutes before the interval. McKay found space on the left and his deep cross was perfect for Vargas, who had timed his run well to gamble at the back post, he was totally unmarked and, on the stretch, got the desired touch to slot the ball past McCracken to break the deadlock.
The visitors thought they were going to get the opportunity to draw level just four minutes later, when referee Nick Walsh pointed to the penalty spot, when Lyall Cameron’s shot was adjudged to have hit the arm of Stephen Kingsley. However, after a VAR review, the decision was overturned, and no penalty awarded.
Half-time: Hearts 1-0 Dundee
Into the second half and the Jambos doubled their lead on 53 minutes. Barrie McKay slid a neat ball through the middle for the onrushing Forrest, he took the ball round McCracken and slotted the ball into the empty net.
James Wilson was introduced for his league debut on the hour mark and he almost marked the occasion with a goal, after receiving a pass from fellow substitute Toby Sibbick, he stung the palms of McCracken.
The returning McKay had deserved a goal for his performance, and it almost arrived on 73 minutes. It was a good move from the men in maroon, involving Beni Baningime, Wilson and Sibbick and when the latter laid the ball off to the number 18, he curled the ball just wide.
The Jambos wrapped up the points in stoppage time. Scott Fraser drove forward with purpose and slipped in Shankland, who took a touch, before slotting the ball past McCracken to round off a successful afternoon.
Hearts: Gordon, Kingsley, Baningime, Shankland ©, Devlin (Denholm, 70), Rowles, Forrest (Oda, 70), McKay (Fraser, 78), Cochrane, Vargas (Wilson, 61), Lembikisa (Sibbick, 61)
Subs: Clark, Kent, Grant, Oda, Sibbick, Denholm, Fraser, Tagawa, Wilson
Dundee: McCracken, Dodgson (Costelloe, 68), Astley, McGhee (Howley, 46), Bakayoko, Cameron (Main, 83), McCowan ©, Boateng (Mulligan, 78), Donnelly, Mellon, Portales
Subs: Sharp, Tiffoney, Main, Josh Mulligan, Robinson, Robertson, Howley, Sylla, Costelloe
