THE consolation amid the disappointment for Neil Alexander was that at least he made it through the 90 minutes unscathed this time.

The Hearts goalkeeper's second appearance of the season in Saturday's goalless draw at Dumbarton was rather less eventful than his debut for the club when, on the opening game at Ibrox, he sustained a cheekbone injury and had to depart on a stretcher midway through the second half. Alexander's return, then, was cause for celebration but it was tempered by a sense of frustration as Hearts dropped their first points of the SPFL Championship campaign.

After four successive victories there was a feeling that Robbie Neilson's side only needed to turn up to swat Dumbarton aside but some feeble Hearts attacking and strong defensive work from their hosts served to provide an alternative outcome. The draw was enough to return Hearts to the top of the table but also served as a warning that they won't get their own way on every occasion this season.

"I'm glad to be back but it turned out to be a disappointing day," said Alexander. "On the day we just weren't good enough but you have to also give Dumbarton credit for the way they performed. They made it very hard for us. In the final third we just lacked that killer instinct which hadn't been the case of late. But you never know - it might be a great point for us further down the line."

Alexander's return was perhaps harsh on Jack Hamilton, the 20-year-old who had deputised ably during the senior player's absence. Alexander, though, predicted big things for the Scotland under-21 cap.

"I've been very impressed with him from the moment I came to Hearts," he added. "He's a great lad with a great attitude and we're very confident that he's got a fantastic future ahead of him. I can see him being the Hearts No.1 for many years to come.

"Scott Gallacher is there as well so I've got two great goalkeepers breathing down my neck which is good for the future as well. When I step down and hang up my gloves the position is in good hands."

For Dumbarton, this was further evidence of their recovery following a start to the season that threatened to leave them marooned - no pun intended - at the foot of the table. Four points from their last two matches signal they are a team that should not be taken lightly, especially at home. "We had a disappointing start in our first three games but we've had a big improvement since then," said defender David van Zanten. "We showed on Saturday that we can match most teams. We'll take a lot of positives from this and we're pleased to get a point. I thought the boys were brilliant at the back.

"That's two clean sheets in a row having conceded quite a lot of goals before. That means a lot although unfortunately, unlike our last games, we couldn't nick a winner."