Heart of Midlothian twice came from behind away to Dundee to claim another valuable victory that further strengthened their grip on third place in the Premiership.

Hearts went into the break 1-0 down before an Alan Forrest strike and a brace from Lawrence Shankland turned the game in the visitors' favour, opening up a 12-point gap with Kilmarnock in fourth place in the standings.

Here's everything Naismith said to the media after the match.

READ MORE: Hearts win AGAIN as Shankland reigns supreme and resilience shown

What are your thoughts on that one?

I thought it was good, entertaining football. I think it was two teams that are confident and well-coached, and two teams that have a never-say-die attitude. That’s the way the game went. I thought we started quite well and got control in the game. The niggle at half-time was our decision-making in the final third, and our tempo at times when we were moving the ball. We went in 1-0 down and the goals we conceded today were sloppy, but I never felt we were out of it or we were struggling. We were a constant threat. The big thing that we have built over time is our resilience and our character. We don’t change, we continue to keep moving the ball and working opportunities rather than getting sucked into going direct. In the second half, it could have swung either way – we could have come away with a defeat, a draw, or a win. It became a bit more open and both teams had chances, but we made the right choices in the second half in our attacks to get us the win.

How pleased are you with Shankland?

Aye, I’m pleased. He is a top striker and somebody who we know is really important. That’s why we want to tie him down on a longer contract, that’s why we want him to be here for as long as possible. There was a big bit of pressure on him for the penalty but he showed his quality again. Overall the performance of the group was brilliant and that is all we can ask. We continue to go into games saying, ‘if we keep winning, the distance between us and the teams below us is going to be even greater’. That’s all we can keep doing.

What was the decision-making process for the penalty?

I thought Lawrence would take it but there was no discussion. Shanks is experienced enough, as he showed in the Aberdeen game when he didn’t want to hit it and Grant stepped up. Being the captain, being the leader, he obviously felt confident enough and stuck it away.

Were you sure it was in?

I couldn’t see it until it hit the net. I don’t normally watch these things. You need that calmness, and then the second goal shows Lawrence’s calmness again. Overall I am delighted with the team and that character that we have shown.

What do the 3-2 wins over Dundee do for your heart?

I actually enjoyed the game and thought our overall performance was decent, which made it enjoyable. If we had come away with one point or no points then it might have been different but there were loads of positives and it was a good game of football. Dundee are at the start of a journey with a good manager and young players who are talented. They have been really good and we knew we would have to work really hard to get the win. They will win more games than they don’t here at Dens.

What was the thinking behind Sibbick’s inclusion?

We have had illness. Hallks was lucky to be here today. He probably pushed more than he should have but he has the characteristics of an old-fashioned leader, and he wanted to be here and be a part of it. He knew he might have to play a part. Kingsley missed out and Hallks was really struggling, so it was down to that more than anything else.

Shows he can contribute between now and the end of the season?

He is. He is somebody that is part of the group, and somebody that no matter where you ask him to play or what you ask him to do, he will work as hard as he can and give you his all. And the versatility he has got definitely has value for us.