IAN Cathro is still looking for his first win as head coach after Hearts blew a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Dundee at Dens Park last night.

The visitors, who gave a debut to 22-year-old Polish defender Krystian Nowak, got off to a perfect start after Jamie Walker was grounded by Kevin Holt after three minutes.

The Tynecastle man sent Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain the wrong way with the penalty to take his tally to eight for the season. The goal triggered an all-out assault on the Dundee goal. Nowak sent a drive just wide before Bain saved Walker’s low drive which threatened to get through at his near post.

The home side’s first effort came in the 22nd minute when Craig Wighton fired an angled shot wide of the far post. James Vincent then blazed a Wighton cut-back high over the bar.

Bain did well to save Callum Paterson’s powerful header from a Don Cowie corner after 34 minutes. As the home fans became increasingly disgruntled, Hearts defender John Souttar drew another save from Bain with a 25-yard drive. Dundee found themselves in more trouble three minutes after the restart when Paterson got on the end of Cowie’s free-kick at the back post and headed in.

It looked like the Taysiders were down and out but in the 54th minute, after Hearts had failed to clear their lines, captain Darren O’Dea drove in from 16 yards. Hearts suffered another blow when Cowie was carried from the field on a stretcher after clashing with Bain and O’Dea inside the box, the referee ignoring claims for a penalty.

Robbie Muirhead replaced Cowie before fellow substitute Paul McGowan poked in the equaliser from 10 yards, and during the nine minutes added on for Cowie’s injury, Marcus Haber bulleted in from Tom Hateley’s free-kick.

Elsewhere, Partick Thistle climbed off the bottom of the table – at least until the afternoon – after a 3-1 win away to Ross County. Alan Archibald’s men took the lead with Liam Lindsay’s 50th-minute header.

Kris Doolan added a second goal with another header after 62 minutes and Chris Erskine fired Thistle’s third after 78 minutes. Liam Boyce got one back for County five minutes later.

Aberdeen returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory at Motherwell, taking the lead after only six minutes.

Graeme Shinnie scored the first, with Motherwell equalising 10 minutes later through Scott McDonald. Motherwell retook the lead in the 25th minute after Samson spilled McLean’s 25-yard strike. Rooney got to the ball and knocked it to the side before ending up on the ground. Samson saved the penalty but Rooney sent the rebound high into the net.

The drama continued when Bobby Madden pointed to the spot after Mark Reynolds’ challenge on Keith Lasley. After a lengthy delay, while the Motherwell captain received treatment, Joe Lewis saved Louis Moult’s effort from the spot and Ryan Jack cleared off the line after McDonald’s follow-up hit the post.

Meanwhile, Murray Davidson scored the only goal to give St Johnstone a 1-0 win at Kilmarnock. The visitors were awarded a debatable corner two minutes before the break when the ball appeared to come off Blair Alston as he tussled with Greg Taylor. Alston’s delivery was missed by Willie Boyle and landed at the feet of Davidson, who tucked the ball into the bottom corner. Kilmarnock’s Luke Hendrie was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time for mouthing at the referee.