Heart of Midlothian

Hearts head coach Derek McInnes: "We were in trouble. We got the experience [of being down to 10 men] on Sunday. We played similar, although Dundee played a different shape to St Mirren.

"We were still carrying a threat with three at the top of the pitch to try and carry a threat, give us a bit of oxygen, give us a bit of relief. The three lads, Lawrence [Shankland], Claudio [Braga] and Kyzi [Kyziridis], carried a fight for us and gave us some good moments but without scoring the goal.

"The message was still clear. We said at half-time that 'this can be done'. There was loads of belief.

"Beni Baningime, who's as popular a boy in that dressing room as anybody, is in tears. We had to help him out. We had to dig ourselves out of a bit of trouble.

"With 10 men against a team like St Mirren, it's not always easy. We thought we had enough encouragement at times, we had a couple of good opportunities, good breaks.

"It's a great bit of play in the lead-up to Lawrence's goal where the captain sets the right tone, gets the goal and then we have something to hang on to.

"That's due to the effort of the lads. We can only set them up. I can only give them the instruction of what's the best chance to get that clean sheet.

"They're the ones that have got to go over the line and do it. They were magnificent. What a huge effort. What a brilliant win that is. I said Sunday [against Dundee] was the best three points.

"That tops it by a long way."

We asked whether Hearts should push to sign Rogers Mato this month after the club agreed a pre-contract for the Uganda striker to join in summer.

Here's what some of you said:

Andy: Tony Bloom getting our business done nice and early, fully expect Claudio Braga to leave for a tidy sum in the summer, so it's good that we are getting replacements in already. This is just the beginning for Hearts as well.

Jason: If he's that good, get him in as soon as possible.

Alan: If we can offload some players and free up the money, then yes we should try and get him in, but we should be warry of going over our budget.

David: More great business by Hearts to bring in Mato for free at the end of the season. This is solid succession planning by Hearts when they sell on Alexandros Kyzirdis etc. It would be a bonus to get him in during this window but wouldn't pay over the odds for him as we have loads of wide options.

Tam: I am surrounded by Old Firm fans at work and I have never seen them so worried. They have ruled Scottish football for too long, especially Celtic. This signing just shows how ambitious Hearts are and, if Mato has done his homework, he will want to join the Hearts juggernaut now. The future is Maroon.

Garry: Fascinating signing and certainly a statement. Mato, if reports are to be believed, had suitors in better leagues than Scotland. The success of Jamestown across a number of football clubs has not gone unnoticed. Has that begun to sway players to Hearts that otherwise would be out of reach?

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• Hearts boss Derek McInnes has managed 16 top-flight home matches against St Mirren in his career and lost none of them (W9 D7), with these coming across spells with St Johnstone (W2 D2), Aberdeen (W5 D3), and Kilmarnock (W2 D2).

• Hearts have won 17 of their past 21 home matches against St Mirren in the top flight (D2 L2), including six of their latest seven (L1).

• St Mirren have only had one win in their past seven league meetings with Hearts (D2 L4), a 2-1 triumph in September 2024.

• Hearts are unbeaten in 12 home league games (W9 D3), last going longer without a home defeat in the top flight from January to October 2004 (16).

• St Mirren have lost five of their past six away league outings (D1), conceding 2+ goals in all six of these fixtures (15 goals conceded in total).

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Hearts centre-back Jamie McCart insists he is comfortable deputising at left-back for the Scottish Premiership leaders.

The 28-year-old made his first start of the season in Sunday's 1-0 win at Dundee and is expected to keep his place for Wednesday's visit of St Mirren due to injuries to Harry Milne and Stephen Kingsley.

"I'm delighted to get playing because it's been a long time, a frustrating time," he said.

"I played left-back quite a few times for Inverness quite a few years ago. It was tough on Sunday but I enjoyed it.

"It is a bit of a change because you're wider so you can go higher and deeper. Sometimes you'll play against wingers who go one-v-one and then others who will go away from you.

"It's something I've done before so I felt pretty comfortable with it.

"At St Johnstone we played a back three and the way we did it meant you had to get out to defend in those wide areas. That stood me in good stead."

McCart, who moved to Tynecastle from Rotherham, is under contract until the summer of 2029 and has no thoughts of moving on despite his recent lack of action.

"I signed at Hearts for a reason," he said. "I want to be here and I want to play, so every day I train and try to prepare like I want to play.

"I know the standards I set, so I knew if I got the opportunity I could come in anywhere.

"You just have to be patient and when you do get in, give the gaffer something to think about."

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Derek McInnes has hinted at further January signings after Hearts secured a pre-contract deal for Uganda forward Rogers Mato to join in the summer.

The 22-year-old, who was subject of a rejected 350,000 euro offer from Hearts, has agreed a three-year contract to move to Tynecastle in the summer when his FK Vardar deal expires.

It remains to be seen if Premiership leaders Hearts will renew their attempts to buy Mato this month, but McInnes, who has already added Jordi Altena and Islam Chesnokov since the window opened, says the club are equipped to land players who can "make the difference".

"We've always had huge support from the board," the Tynecastle boss said.

"We can only spend so much on Hearts wages and all the rest of it, but with the expertise of Jamestown [Analytics], there's a lot of people on the board, particularly James Anderson who's keen to really support us in anything we're trying to do.

"But from [chief executive] Andrew McKinlay, everybody on the board recognises that if we can make the difference with one or two signings and step up, then we could be in a position to go and do that.

"Whenever we've presented good players to the board, we've always had good backing to try and get things done, and hopefully that continues."

McInnes has urged Hearts fans to crank up the noise at Tynecastle on Wednesday night when his table-topping side host St Mirren.

"We need all the help we can get," he said. "I think the fans realise by now that any sort of interaction, any positivity towards the team, any extra noise helps us.

"We want Tynecastle to be something extra special, something extra intimidating for the opponents, a place where our players really enjoy playing at home.

"We're now directly in competition with Rangers and Celtic as it stands in the league. We are the underdog.

"But we have an unshakable belief in what we're doing. We are confident where we are. This isn't a purple patch. We're nearly four months at the top of the league. It's something substantial."

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Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow is suspended while left-backs Stephen Kingsley (groin) and Harry Milne (ankle) are expected to remain sidelined after missing the win at Dundee.

Oisin McEntee (groin), Calem Nieuwenhof, Ageu, Finlay Pollock (all hamstring) and Sander Kartum (hip) are also out.

St Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips will see a specialist to discover if a shoulder injury requires surgery, which would keep him out for three months.

Alex Gogic returns from suspension while Liam Donnelly, Dan Nlundulu and Shamal George will be assessed after weekend injuries.

Saints have recalled Oisin Smyth from his loan spell at Partick Thistle but remain without Jonah Ayunga (tendon), Mark O'Hara (ankle) and Keanu Baccus (hamstring tendon).

Greg Playfair
Fan writer

It's fitting that prior to last Sunday's appearance, the last sighting of Craig Gordon in competitive action was against Denmark for Scotland. Even Hans Christian Andersen wouldn't have believed the plot we witnessed in the dying embers at Dens Park.

Called upon following a deserved red card for Alexander Schwolow, Gordon had a point to prove to a lot of doubters.

There's sceptics amongst the regulars at Tynecastle that at 43, auld Craigie's powers, which propelled him to being the UK's most expensive goalkeeper at age 24, were in serious decline.

The cruel lows in Gordon's rollercoaster career include arm fractures, knee injuries, a double leg break and as recently as last year, a shoulder injury. A lot of people would have conceded defeat after one of these setbacks – but not Gordon.

That save, in the dying embers of the match, just defies physics. Dundee striker Emile Acquah and the Dens support are probably still scratching their heads as to why the header didn't nestle in the net.

Gordon even said himself he didn't expect to get to it. And you do wonder if he's going to live out a fairytale six months.

He has the opportunity now to play two more games with Schwolow suspended and although most Jambos expect the German to line up against Celtic when available for selection, I wouldn't rule out Gordon.

There's no doubt he'll go down as a Gorgie great and he'll want to achieve more, especially with it being his testimonial year too.

The prize at stake for Gordon is the chance to lift silverware with his boyhood club – could it be a league title for the first time in 66 years or possibly a Scottish Cup, his second and making him one of a select few that has done so twice with Hearts?

There's also the chance of playing in a World Cup with Scotland. If he's getting games with Hearts regularly, it will be hard for Steve Clarke to ignore Gordon for the number one jersey.

You never want your keeper being too busy, but I'd love two well-earned clean sheets for Gordon and two wins in the next two games to give Derek McInnes a headache moving forward.

The year 2026 could produce a fairytale that can be told for generations and it's up to Gordon and the Hearts team to make it a reality.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Hearts played more than half of their 1-0 win at Dundee on Sunday with 10 players and have two of their defensive heroes in my team of the week.

As Andy Halliday said on Sportscene, the Hollywood screenwriter scripting Craig Gordon's career is doing a magnificent job.

With the finale of this long and storied football journey pencilled in for the golden glow of an American World Cup setting, the 43-year-old proved he is still capable of world-class moments with a save that was simply sublime - almost unbelievably clawing the ball to safety when a goal looked inevitable.

The disbelief and appreciation of his teammates underlined everything. Potentially a hugely pivotal moment in the story of this Premiership title race as Hearts took all three points back to the capital.

Gordon's other big save immediately after coming onto the pitch for Alexander Schwolow should not be overlooked either.

Gordon's save rightly claimed the headlines but Craig Halkett once again was a colossus in central defence. He dealt with almost everything Dundee could throw at him.

We asked for your thoughts after Hearts clung on to a potentially vital 1-0 win at Dundee thanks to a last-minute wonder save from Craig Gordon.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Fergus: We haven't played well in quite a few results and got away with it! Second half was absolutely stellar and Craig Halkett is showing more and more as to why he should be on the plane with Scotland! Running out of superlatives for Craig Gordon, but that save could win us the league.

Alfo: Tempting though it is to put this victory down to a great Claudio Braga strike and an eye-popping save from Gordon that appeared to defy the laws of physics, it was just as much attributable to the mental fortitude of the whole team in the second half. A deserved victory, well done the Jambos.

Alan: I think it's pretty easy to make a case that Gordon is the best footballer I've ever seen in a maroon jersey.

Peter: Gordon, like a good malt whisky, gets even better with age! Outstanding save at the death and no doubt Steve Clarke will be almost as pleased as we are! We overcame a strong Dundee side, and as Derek McInnes stated, these tight wins are what winning the league is all about.

Jason: Sir Craig Gordon. Give him a knighthood right now! And a start between the sticks in the summer.

Steve: One of the best saves you'll ever see at any level of football. The definition of world class. Name a stand at Tynecastle after the man!

Image source, SNS

Andy Halliday believes the Scottish football public are waiting for former club Hearts to "slip up" after the Premiership leaders came through a stern test at Dundee.

Claudio Braga's goal and stunning late save by his replacement Craig Gordon secured a 1-0 win for Hearts at Dundee on Sunday, despite goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow's first-half red card.

"Everyone's waiting for Hearts to slip up," Halliday told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"When Hearts go down to 10 men in the first half, I think that was the moment. Everyone was expecting, well, here we go. This is going to be a real challenge for them.

"That being said, obviously another chapter into Hearts this season with the return of Craig Gordon and obviously the save he makes at end of the game. We are talking about how important these results and performances can be."

Halliday also turned out for Rangers and the Ibrox side churned out a second straight 2-0 win over Aberdeen later on Sunday. Danny Rohl's side trail Hearts by three points though Derek McInnes' league leaders have a game in hand at home to St Mirren to play on Wednesday evening.

"Danny Rohl's got a tune out of Rangers, so everyone's expecting them to carry momentum forward and really push Hearts," said Halliday.

"I still feel that Rangers have to be extremely active from now to the end of this transfer window to bring in two, three immediate starters and guys that can affect the game at the top end of the pitch, especially in open play."

Watch highlights as Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts grind out a potentially vital victory at Dundee despite playing more than half the game with 10 players.

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Watch Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon's impressive late save in his side's 1-0 win at Dundee from different angles.

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Forty-three-year-old substitute goalkeeper Craig Gordon produced an incredible stoppage-time save to earn 10-man league leaders Hearts a potentially vital Scottish Premiership victory at Dundee.

Read the match report

Have your say

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Hearts manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland: "I've always liked my goalkeepers to make the saves I expect them to make and not make mistakes. Craig does that and a bit more.

"When he was called upon, he stood up to it. It was a magnificent save. I think it beats the majority of keepers. I thought it was past him and he manages to claw it away. A magnificent moment for him.

"Craig, to still be throwing yourself about at 43 - obviously there's a lot of motivation in terms of the World Cup and trying to be part of something special here - is first class. Good on him.

"Any teams that have a successful campaign, they're the bedrock - digging out results like that 1-0.

"Everyone will talk about the 10 men and Craig at the end. The question was asked of us, there's no doubt about it.

"The fans helped us win today. It felt significant and I really hope it is.

"That feels like the best three points of the season and we've had some big afternoons.

[On the red card]: "I've not seen it back. I thought there was an offside in the build-up, but VAR's there for a reason. It was then all hands to the pump.

"A huge effort from everybody, but it's worth it. 1-0s are sometimes the best ones and successful teams normally have loads of them."

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Hearts goalkeeper Zander Clark has joined English League One side Doncaster Rovers on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 33-year-old began the season as Hearts' number one following injury to Craig Gordon and started the first four league games, conceding six goals.

German stopper Alexander Schwolow was then signed and immediately installed as first-choice for Derek McInnes.

Clark has four Scotland caps and was called up as recently as September, and will be aiming to sneak into Steve Clarke's World Cup squad next summer.

Since joining the Gorgie side in 2022 after winning the double at St Johnstone, Clark has made 76 appearances for Hearts.

He joins a Rovers side currently sitting second bottom of League One, having won promotion last season.

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Dundee captain Simon Murray returns from suspension but Joe Westley remains out for another 10 weeks.

Hearts will assess whether new winger signing Islam Chesnokov could feature and Landry Kabore is back from international duty.

Ageu, Sander Kartum, Oisin McEntee, Calem Nieuwenhof and Finlay Pollock are unavailable.

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Dundee's fine form make them a more difficult opponent on Sunday, says Hearts manager Derek McInnes.

The Scottish Premiership leaders visit Dens Park to face a side on a three-match winning run.

Their manager, Steven Pressley, has faced criticism during this season but McInnes is pleased the 52-year-old has enjoyed an upturn in form.

"I was a bit annoyed a few months into the season, a few weeks into the season there was this constant jumping on him and it's too early to judge anybody at that stage," said McInnes.

"I'm pleased that good work's been done, he's just knuckled down. It's not been easy for him and I love seeing when a manager goes through a tough time and comes out the other end.

"Ultimately, I've still got to win a game but there's good work being done, sometimes in this league you come out against teams who are in poor form like Livi struggling for a result on Saturday getting into Saturday's game but they've been competitive.

"And then you're playing Dundee and you're playing them when they're in a really good run of form, particularly after a derby win when you've got that city rivalry and they win a derby game they'll be feeling brilliant about themselves going into the game. So, we're well aware that that's an added difficulty for us and an added plus for them."

Macedonian First League leaders Vardar have set an asking price of £1.3m for Uganda forward Rogers Mato as they continue to negotiate with Heart of Midlothian after rejecting a £300,000 offer for the 22-year-old amid interest from other European clubs. (R.org), external

Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign highly rated Scotland Under-17s midfielder Keir McMeekin from Hearts. (Fabrizio Romano on X), external

Hearts and Manchester City have agreed compensation over McMeekin should he sign for the Premier League club when he turns 16 next month amid rival interest from Liverpool and Manchester United. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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• Hearts' Cammy Devlin has made 92 tackles in the Premiership this season, at least 42 more than any other player. He has also recorded 51 interceptions, at least 14 more than anybody else.

• Dundee have lost six of their past eight league meetings with Hearts (W2), most recently losing 4-0 in November.

• Hearts have won five of their past seven Premiership visits to Dundee (L2), most recently a 6-0 win in February 2025, which was their biggest winning margin in the competition since January 2016, when they also beat Motherwell 6-0.

• Dundee have won their past three league games, last winning four in a row in the top flight in May 1999 under Jocky Scott.

• Hearts have won four of their past five league games, losing the other 3-2 to rivals Hibernian in December. Hearts had only won one of their previous six league fixtures prior to this (D4 L1).