William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts demonstrated their title credentials by overcoming a red card for goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow to grind out a 1-0 victory away to Dundee.
In front of a 4,000-strong travelling support, the Jambos went ahead through Claudio Braga’s 27th-minute strike.
The wind was removed from the visitors’ sails when Schwolow was sent off in first-half stoppage-time for fouling Tony Yogane.
But Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon came on for his first Jambos appearance of the season and helped secure a potentially huge victory in their quest for glory by pulling off a stunning stoppage-time save from Emile Acquah.
Dundee made one change to the side that made it three wins in a row away to Dundee United last weekend as Fin Robertson replaced on-loan Hearts playmaker Yan Dhanda.
There was also one enforced change to the Hearts team that started the 1-0 victory over Livingston as centre-back Jamie McCart came in for his first start of the season, with left-back Harry Milne dropping out through injury. Newly-signed winger Islam Chesnokov started on the bench.
Dundee threatened with just a minute on the clock as Billy Koumetio’s header from a Yogane cross was clawed out by Schwolow.
But Hearts soon started to gain the upper hand and Lawrence Shankland pulled a shot just wide after Braga teed him up on the edge of the box.
The visitors made the breakthrough in the 27th minute, although it came in contentious circumstances. After being fouled by Robertson inside his own half, Cammy Devlin picked himself up and played a quick free-kick forward to Shankland who then fed Braga.
The Portuguese forward set himself before driving a low strike in off Jon McCracken’s right-hand post from the edge of the box. Dundee felt Devlin had taken the free-kick from the wrong place and while the ball was still rolling, but the goal stood.
The league leaders were playing with a degree of authority and Shankland threatened a second when he rasped just wide from 25 yards.
Hearts almost doubled their lead in the 39th minute when Jordi Altena released Alexandros Kyziridis in the box and the Greek’s low angled shot was touched behind by McCracken.
The visitors looked comfortable as the interval approached but a flashpoint in first-half stoppage time changed the complexion of the game.
Yogane ghosted in behind the Hearts defence, prompting keeper Schwolow to race out of his box and foul the Dundee winger. The flag immediately went up for offside but after a lengthy VAR check, Yogane was deemed to be onside and Schwolow was shown a red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, although Hearts felt defender Craig Halkett was covering.
Gordon was summoned from the bench, with Braga sacrificed, and the 43-year-old’s first act was to get down to his left to make a brilliant save from Cam Congreve’s free-kick.
Hearts – with five centre-backs on for the closing 20 minutes – generally managed the second half well, although they required Gordon to come up with a brilliant save down to his left to keep out Acquah’s header in the third and final minute of stoppage time.
