Sabah Kerjota delivered a dramatic stoppage‑time winner, sealing a 2‑1 comeback for Hearts against Dundee at Tynecastle and extending their run of Premiership triumphs to four consecutive matches. The match unfolded with Hearts struggling for long spells after the visitors, who had both Joe Westley and Fin Robertson carried off on stretchers, took the initiative early on, opening the scoring in the 17th minute through Bradley Fink.
Despite the early setback, the Edinburgh side fought back and eventually drew level in the 84th minute when Claudio Braga converted a penalty. The drama intensified when Dundee saw Zan Besir receive a red card as the clock ticked into added time. Seizing the advantage of the numerical superiority, Hearts’ Albanian substitute Sabah Kerjota, who had joined the club last summer, struck his first goal for the team six minutes into stoppage time, clinching a memorable victory.
The win lifted the Jambos, who have now gone unbeaten in eight fixtures across all competitions, up to second place in the league table. The match also featured a forced alteration to the Hearts lineup that had been introduced during the previous Thursday’s Edinburgh derby win over Hibernian: Blair Spittal, sidelined for months with an injury, was replaced by Tomas Magnusson. Dundee manager Steven Pressley made four changes to the side that had drawn 1‑1 with St Johnstone the day before, bringing in Imari Samuels, Drey Wright, Fin Robertson and Bradley Fink.
The visitors began brightly; Calvin Miller saw his effort deflected behind the goal in the third minute, and a subsequent corner resulted in a serious incident when Westley was forced to leave the pitch on a stretcher after colliding with Jamie McCart. Bobby Wales came on as his replacement. Dundee’s breakthrough came from their first clear chance of the game. In the 17th minute, Fink timed a run behind Hearts’ goalkeeper Oisin McEntee, latched onto a long ball from Samuels, and slotted a 12‑yard effort past the exposed Beau Reus.
Dundee threatened to double their lead when Ethan Hamilton capitalised on a mistake by Magnusson, driving forward and unleashing a low shot from just outside the box that brushed the left‑hand post. Hearts struggled to find rhythm in the first half but began to assert themselves after the break. Five minutes into the second period, Josh McPake received a pass from Magnusson and surged into the box, only to be denied by defender Owen Goodman. On the opposite flank, Dundee substitute Jack Moorhouse’s strike clipped the crossbar after dispossessing Jordi Altena.
As the half progressed, Hearts increased the pressure, with James Wilson, Braga, substitute JJ Williams and McPake all testing Dundee’s defence. The visitors suffered another blow in the 76th minute when Robertson was stretchered off after sustaining an injury. Hearts finally drew level in the 84th minute when VAR intervened to award a penalty after Owen Bevan was judged to have blocked a Christian Borchgrevink cut‑back with his arm. Braga stepped up and sent the ball past Goodman, equalising for the home side.
The drama peaked in the 90th minute when Dundee’s Zan Besir was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Magnusson. With Dundee reduced to ten men, Hearts capitalised once more. A short corner was worked into the box, finding Kerjota, who unleashed a low‑angled finish that nestled into the net, completing the comeback and delivering a spectacular win for the Jambos. After the match, Hearts manager Wouter Vrancken reflected on the performance: "If you win a derby and then lose the next weekend, the focus shifts to the negative and the derby emotion fades.
After a setback in a tough game against a side that defended very deep, I was delighted to see we stayed in it, kept pushing and eventually got the result we deserved. It's encouraging to see the players remain calm, showing the resilience and quality needed to turn situations around – essential traits when you aim for the top spots in the league." Dundee boss Steven Pressley praised his squad despite the defeat: "It was a challenging afternoon, yet we almost secured a very positive outcome. Managing a game with so many forced changes was difficult.
There were numerous obstacles, but considering all the challenges faced on the pitch, the players displayed incredible attitude and performance. Not in terms of controlling possession, but in sheer will, desire and determination to chase a result." The match not only highlighted the importance of tactical adaptability and mental fortitude but also underscored how injuries and disciplinary issues can dramatically alter a game’s complexion. Hearts’ ability to exploit the numerical advantage and Kerjota’s decisive strike will be remembered as a defining moment in their season, reinforcing their push for the league’s upper echelons. Meanwhile, Dundee will need to regroup, address the disciplinary lapse that led to Besir’s dismissal, and manage the fitness concerns surrounding Westley and Robertson as they look ahead to their next fixtures.
Fans left Tynecastle buzzing with excitement, celebrating a thrilling finish that epitomised the unpredictable nature of Scottish football. The victory also kept Hearts’ unbeaten run intact, further solidifying their position as genuine contenders for the Premiership title as the season progresses.