Oisin McEntee stole in at the back post in a crowded penalty area to nod towards goal from a free-kick taken by Marc Leonard. Dundee goalkeeper, John McCracken, managed to get his left hand to the ball but it had too much pace.
Tynecastle erupted when it hit the rigging. Time 77 minutes, and the goal ensures that the Jam Tarts enter the international break in pole position in the William Hill Premiership.
The header decided a tight game which ended Dundee’s five-game unbeaten run.
Both sides lacked quality in the final third but Hearts survived despite big defender Frankie Kent being handed a second yellow card which meant he made the lonely walk back to the dressing room in second-half injury time.
The result, however, was no more than Hearts deserved in a game of few chances against disciplined Dundee, but the home side had the chance to break the deadlock sooner when Landry Kabore found himself one-on-one with the Dundee goalkeeper.
He sent the ball over the bar, a gilt edged opportunity squandered in first-half injury time.
There are now seven games left in the season with the Jambos next assignment on the artificial surface at The Home of the Set Fare Arena in Livingston on 5 April at 2pm and the narrow win was a perfect tonic after the disappointing 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock the previous weekend.
Hearts enjoyed plenty of possession and found a way to earn three valuable points, but they had to stay patient as the well-drilled Dundee were dangerous of the break.
Steven Pressley, Dundee’s manager and a former Hearts skipper, was disappointed to be beaten particularly by a set-piece goal, and he said: “It was fiercely contested.”
Pressley added: “I’m disappointed because we had a number of moments when we were in good positions but didn’t quite execute the final pass.”
His opposite number, Derek McInnes, was naturally pleased with the result and he said; “I thought we were the better team but I would like us to be more dominant in terms of creating chances.
“When we did put the ball in the box it caused them a bit of stress.”
(Mark Scates / SNS Group)
