Dunfermline Athletic 2-1 Hearts: Robbie Neilson's side suffer first Championship defeat

Captain Euan Murray's near-post header put the home side 2-0 up

Dunfermline Athletic shattered Hearts' winning start to the season and moved top of the Scottish Championship with a hard-fought victory.

Hearts' Mihai Popescu hit the bar with a first-half header before Dom Thomas' deflected strike opened the scoring for the hosts shortly after the interval.

Thomas turned provider five minutes later as his corner was met by Euan Murray to head home at the near post.

Stephen Kingsley glanced home for Hearts, but the hosts held firm.

The Tynecastle club had won all eight games this season - including three in the league - but are now third in the table, four points off top spot with a game in hand.

Stevie Crawford's Dunfermline sit three points clear of Raith Rovers, who face Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday.

Dunfermline head coach Stevie Crawford: "We'll enjoy our weekend but we won't get carried way. It allows us to keep the momentum going but it's nothing more than that."

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson: "It might be a bit of a wake-up call for us all. It's part of football, it's about how we react to it now. No one goes through the full season winning every game, a defeat is always going to come. I expect the players to go and win the next game now."