Hearts' Oisin McEntee celebrates scoring to make it 1-0 during a William Hill Premiership match between Heart of Midlothian and Dundee at Tynecastle ParkImage source, SNS
Image caption,

Oisin McEntee scored the only goal in Hearts' win against Dundee

At a glance

  • McEntee's header on 77 minutes ensures Hearts head into international break top of Premiership

  • Kent sent off late on but leaders see out win amid frantic ending

  • Dundee's five-game unbeaten run brought to an end

ByThomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

Oisin McEntee's towering header gave leaders Hearts a vital victory over Dundee to ensure they head into the international break top of the Scottish Premiership.

Derek McInnes' side were largely frustrated at Tynecastle as a disciplined Dundee performance made life difficult for the league's pace setters.

However, McEntee came up with the crucial moment 13 minutes from the end when he ran off his marker to head in Marc Leonard's free kick and send the home fans into ecstasy.

It also secured a fourth 1-0 home win in a row for Hearts, despite Frankie Kent's late red card, as the pressure cranks up on the unlikley title challengers with seven games to go as they seek a first league crown since 1960.

Celtic - who play Dundee United on Sunday - now trail by five points while Rangers can reduce their deficit to three if they beat Aberdeen in the Saturday evening kick-off against Aberdeen (17:45 GMT).

The victory was the perfect way to bounce back from last week's defeat at Kilmarnock for Hearts, who had to stay patient and calm as Tynecastle grew more edgy as the game wore on.

The home crowd had witnessed Claudio Braga and Pierre Landry Kabore squander promising openings in the first half and Dundee threatened in fits and starts.

But, as they have done much of the season, Hearts found a way to win as Dundee's five-game unbeaten run was brought to an end.

Analysis: Set-piece saves steely Hearts

Hearts have been menacing from set-pieces for most of this season, but McInnes talked during the week about the fact their productivity from those situations has fallen in the last six weeks or so amid a run of three defeats in six games.

It will delight the Hearts boss no end that a superb delivery was attacked with ferocity by McEntee to win a game Hearts looked like drawing for most of it.

Their productivity in the final third has been poorer generally since the start of February, with one of the worst conversion rates in the league, not helped by the injury to captain and striker Lawrence Shankland.

Braga and Kabore both missed presentable first-half chances before Shankland's return as a second-half substitute made a difference to Hearts' ability to sustain pressure in the Dundee half.

His timely comeback could make all the difference in the team matching their final-third efficiency from the first two-thirds of the campaign given his finishing ability, but also ability to drop in and start attacks.

Midfielder Cammy Devlin playing 76 minutes on his own comeback was also a huge boost, albeit the late withdrawal of centre-back Craig Halkett due to a back issue is a concern, as well as a ban for another defender Frankie Kent after he was issued a second yellow card for a trip in stoppage time.

Overall, though, Hearts are in fine shape as, for the third time in a row, they followed up a defeat by bouncing back to win at home the next game.

Dundee played a major part in the nervousness around Tynecastle due to their discipline without the ball, and the ability of their wingers Tony Yogane and Cam Congreve to carry them forward.

Ultimately it will frustrate manager Steven Pressley that they were punished for switching off at a late free kick, as well as the fact they lacked conviction in the final third when they got into good positions out wide.

Nevertheless, Dundee can be positive about finishing the season strongly after their best unbeaten top-flight run for 11 years.

What's next for these teams?

After the international break Hearts are away to bottom side Livingston on Sunday 5 April (14:00 BST), while Dundee host champions Celtic the same day (16:30).

Player of the match

Number: 31 O. McEntee
Average rating 7.12
Number: 31 O. McEntee
Average Rating: 7.12
Number: 9 L. Shankland
Average Rating: 6.85
Number: 25 A. Schwolow
Average Rating: 6.74
Number: 14 C. Devlin
Average Rating: 6.73
Number: 10 Cláudio Braga
Average Rating: 6.66
Number: 23 J. Altena
Average Rating: 6.39
Number: 49 M. Leonard
Average Rating: 6.36
Number: 16 B. Spittal
Average Rating: 6.31
Number: 6 B. Baningime
Average Rating: 6.31
Number: 5 J. McCart
Average Rating: 6.18
Number: 15 M. Steinwender
Average Rating: 6.13
Number: 99 I. Chesnokov
Average Rating: 6.08
Number: 17 A. Forrest
Average Rating: 6.01
Number: 89 A. Kyziridis
Average Rating: 5.79
Number: 2 F. Kent
Average Rating: 5.76
Number: 11 P. Kaboré
Average Rating: 5.09

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.