A dreadful first-half display saw Dundee get their Championship season off to the worst possible start with a 6-2 defeat at rivals Hearts.
The Jambos were 4-1 up at the break with a Charlie Adam wonder goal a sole moment of cheer for the Dees watching from home.
Things improved in the second half, but only slightly as Danny Mullen made it 4-2 on 68 minutes before Stephen Kingsley and Andy Halliday completed the rout late on.
Adam was making his first league start in a Dundee shirt, as did striker Osman Sow and centre-back Lee Ashcroft as James McPake set up his side in a 3-5-2 formation.
A hat-trick in midweek didn’t earn former Dee Craig Wighton a start as he began the game on the bench alongside Steven Naismith and former Rangers man Andy Halliday. Former Scotland goalie Craig Gordon was between the sticks.
The home side began creating opportunities early on and took the lead after just three minutes.
The goal came from a slack pass forward into the Dundee box but the slack defending that followed allowed the goal. Defender Michael Smith found his way into the area and turned inside Jordon Forster far too easily before rolling the ball under Jack Hamilton for 1-0.
On 24 minutes it was already 2-0 and again the Dark Blues were slow to respond to the danger. Sow headed a corner clear but it fell to Ginnelly 25 yards out, who took aim and fired low past the despairing Hamilton.
For a moment, it looked like Adam had woken Dundee out of their stupor two minutes later with a goal out of the top drawer.
Taking the responsibility onto himself, midfielder Adam skipped past three home defenders before smashing an unstoppable drive past Gordon from the edge of the area.
It’s already a Goal of the Season contender.
But as good as that was, Dundee’s defending was just as poor.
Just after the half-hour, the ball evaded both Jordan McGhee and Ashcroft, rolling to Boyce in the middle of goal. The Northern Irishman took aim but saw his effort blocked by Jordan Marshall.
Unfortunately for the Dundee man he used his arm and a penalty was given and dispatched by Boyce low into the corner.
Dundee’s miserable first-half at Tynecastle was compounded with a fourth home goal seconds before the break.
Former Swansea man Kingsley was the scorer, curling a beauty of a free-kick into the top corner for 4-1.
Half-time saw a change in personnel and system from manager James McPake with Celtic loanee Jonathan Afolabi on up front in place of centre-back Forster.
Minutes after the break Adam curled a free-kick curling inches past the post before Afolabi, McGowan and Mullen saw efforts denied.
Gordon, though, couldn’t stop Mullen the second time on 68 minutes as the striker pounced on a loose ball after Afolabi’s attempt, chipping the ball over the on-rushing Gordon.
With six minutes left, Hearts ended any lingering hopes for the visitors as Kingsley added his second of the evening with a fine strike into the corner.
And sub Halliday finished the scoring in stoppage time with a left-footed effort.
Hearts: Gordon, Smith, Walker, Lee, Boyce (Wighton 76), Roberts, Irving (Haring 70), Kingsley, Halkett, Popescu, Ginnelly (Halliday 74).
Subs not used: Stewart, White, Naismith, Frear.
Dundee: Hamilton, McGhee, Forster (Afolabi 46), Ashcroft, Kerr, Marshall, Robertson, Adam, Dorrans, McGowan, Sow (Mullen 51).
Subs not used: Ferrie, Byrne, McDaid, Elliott, Anderson.