Yutaro Oda netted Hearts’ game-winner as Steven Naismith’s team battled back from 2-0 down to edge Dundee 3-2 at rain-soaked Tynecastle.
The goal underlined the home side’s superiority during the second half and followed strikes from Aussie midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof, his first for the club, and newcomer Dexter Lembikisa in only his second outing for Hearts since signing on-loan from English side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Lawrence Shankland saw a penalty saved by the Dundee goalkeeper, his third straight failure from the spot, but Hearts kept plugging away and were rewarded.
The three points consolidates the Capital club’s position in third place and puts them in a good position to entertain Aberdeen at Tynecastle on Saturday (3.00pm).
The game started badly for the home side as Jordan McGhee netted for the Tayside team after 19 minutes, the former Hearts player curling the ball home. It was initially ruled offside but the goal stood after a VAR review.
Lyall Cameron added a second after 38 minutes, poking the ball home.
Hearts applied pressure in the second half and Nieuwenhof latched onto the ball on the edge of the box and fired a right foot shot wide of the Dundee goalkeeper and into the corner of the net.
Shankland’s penalty was saved after 66 minutes, the Dundee goalkeeper diving to his right to block, but the home side kept on coming.
Lembikisa then headed the ball back across goal from a deep cross to the back post and then Oda took centre stage. The Japanese player got the ball in a tight position on the edge of the box surrounded by white shirts but he managed to find space and fired home.
Dundee have now lost 14 points from winning positions in the cinch Premiership this season, but BBC Scotland Sport say that Hearts have won after trailing by two or more goals in the league for the first time since the start of the 2013-14 season.
The home side enjoyed 67 per cent of possesssion against 33 per cent from Dundee and had 15 shots, six on target, against eight from the Tayside team, four on targhet.
Hearts have 39 points from 22 games with Kilmarnock fourth with 31 points from 22 starts and St Mirren on 29 points after 22 games are fifth.
Naismith said: “It was not good enough until 45. The second half was good.”
The head coach confirmed that injuries suffered by Alex Cochrane and Beni Baningime during the game are not thought to be serious.
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