IAN MURRAY insists he won't dwell on Dumbarton's heavy Tynecastle defeat as he looks forward to a mouth-watering double-header against Rangers.

The Sons' impressive recent run of form came to an end in Gorgie as the Jambos maintained their nine-point lead at the top of the table with a comfortable 5-1 win.

Garry Fleming's second half strike was a mere consolation for the visitors, who are just three points above bottom club Livingston in the standings.

But Murray has urged his side to pick themselves up quickly as they get set to host Rangers on successive weekends.

He said: "It is a disappointing day for us and we had gone six unbeaten before this. I am not going to let one result wreck things.

"But we just have to sort ourselves out and bounce back because we have two huge games coming up against Rangers in the league and the Scottish Cup."

It was to prove a disappointing Tynecastle return for former Hibs skipper Murray as his side were outclassed by a rampant Hearts side that have flown out of the traps this term.

Robbie Neilson's men have put down an early marker of their Championship title intentions and show no signs of letting up as they bid for an immediate return to the top flight.

Goals from Osman Sow and Jamie Holt either side of a Prince Buaben penalty had Hearts well in control before Fleming struck 17 minutes from time to give the Sons a bit of hope.

The Jambos added a shine to scoreline in the closing stages as Callum Paterson and Billy King netted in quick succession to leave Dumbarton on the end of a heavy defeat.

But Murray reckons his side were undone by the best team in the second tier as Hearts once again caught the eye with a relentless attacking display.

He said: "Their fourth goal was a foul on our keeper, and everyone saw it but the referee. Their fifth goal was a foul to us at the other end and again, everyone saw it but the referee.

"But Hearts were the better team, and anyone who argues they aren't the best team in the league has got it wrong. They just don't stop coming at you and it is so hard to deal with.

"They score a lot of goals late in games. It is testament to their fitness levels and professionalism that they keep going right to the end. I said to the guys after 'we are not the first team to come here and lose that many goals, and we won't be the last'."

Hearts assistant boss Stevie Crawford said: "The pleasing thing for us now is we're 10 games into the season and we have managed to take three points off of every team.

"We're not getting carried away. It's a challenge for a lot of the boys, myself and Robbie included. We're new to this and it's a chance to see if we can go on and win the Championship.

"Robbie said all along that's our focus for the season. "What happens over the course of the season, we'll find out."