'Nobody works harder': Tony Docherty lauds Scott Tiffoney after Dundee win

Tony Docherty heaped praise on Scott Tiffoney for his role in Dundee’s impressive 3-1 win over Hearts on Saturday.

In the only change to the side that started the 2-2 draw away to Dundee United on the opening day, the 25-year-old former Partick winger was added, and he responded with a big performance against the Jambos.

Tiffoney opened the scoring in the 23rd minute and then won the penalty from which Luke McCowan scored Dundee’s third, moments after an own goal by Hearts right-back Gerald Taylor.

“Nobody at the club works harder than Tiff,” said Docherty. “He’s getting stronger, he’s getting more robust and his pace is outstanding.

“I’m a real admirer of Gerald Taylor, but I felt Tiff gave him a torrid time because he was on top of him the whole game.

“I couldn’t be more pleased for him and deservedly he got man of the match.”

Shortly before Dundee’s second goal, Docherty was shown a yellow card for protesting the decision not to send off Taylor for a reckless tackle on Tiffoney.

“It was more the speed of the tackle,” he said. “I felt it was reckless and I feared for Scott Tiffoney.

“I don’t ever want to see anyone get sent off but I felt it was reckless.

“I don’t know what I got booked for, I think I came out of the technical area to protest, but I was concerned about Tiff because of the tackle, I thought he’d been hurt.

“I was having a wee go at the referee to protect the players because Tiff was having a great game and they had obviously earmarked him as someone to try and stop.

“He’s a big player for our team so I don’t want to lose him. If I look back on it and I was wrong, I’ll apologise. I did apologise to the officials anyway, I don’t enjoy getting yellow cards because when I tell the players to stay calm, I need to stay calm as well.”

Hearts switched from the 4-2-3-1 formation that brought a strong performance in the 0-0 draw at home to Rangers the previous weekend to three at the back for the match at Dens Park.

They then changed to a back four once more for the start of the second half and improved slightly, pulling one back through Frankie Kent. However, manager Steven Naismith dismissed suggestions that starting with a back three was a factor in their calamitous first-half display.

“I feel (three) gives us a bit more security at the back,” he said. “Dundee changed their shape (from the previous week) as well.

“I don’t think it was down to that. Our outside centre-halves were stepping into the game, playing 30 yards from Dundee’s goal.

“I think the biggest problem was our application and quality. We gave the ball away cheaply but we weren’t willing to have that energy we had last week.

“We’ve raised the competition for places so if you’re not performing, you’re not going to play. Simple as that.”