After a week of unprecedented activity in the transfer market at Tynecastle, I always felt that this game had ?banana skin? written all over it. Historically, whenever Hearts have given their fans something to get genuinely excited about, they?ve very often tended to bring them right back down to earth with the sort of performance that brings tears to glass eyes! This is usually in front of a big crowd against opposition they?re expected to beat. Yesterday?s game ticked those boxes and when we heard that Skacel and Fyssas were out with the flu, familiar doubts started to creep in??.
As usual for this fixture, the admirably loyal Aberdeen away support was large, noisy and optimistic that their side could at last get a win in Gorgie. And why not? The home side was already missing influential playmaker Paul Hartley, so with Skacel and Fyssas also sidelined the home side would be without much of their creativity. Hearts were also starting with two debutants, Jose Goncalves at left-back (in for Fyssas) and Mirsad Beslija on the right wing ? two men not used to the game in this country. So really Aberdeen must have felt they had a better chance than normal of a result here.
The visitors started brightly and looked threatening early on. The impressive Jamie Smith skinned Robbie Neilson a couple of times down the left and only a last-ditch clearance by Webster prevented Aberdeen taking the lead from one of his crosses.
Hearts were struggling to get any fluency into their game, but they did get in behind the Aberdeen defence after 10 minutes and the resulting cross clearly hit former Jambo Scott Severin?s hand in the penalty box, which referee Kenny Clark clearly saw. However it was perhaps one of those ?ball to hand? situations and in any case, as the guy next to me quite rightly pointed out, it only hit one of his hands!
The game continued to be scrappy and no-one could really get a grip on the midfield. Lee Johnson was playing in Hartley?s normal position but was finding it hard going against physically strong players like Severin, who was having a fine match for Aberdeen. However right out the blue, Hearts took the lead after 20 minutes. Callum Elliot gained possession tight to the touchline on the right wing and somehow managed to create enough space to get a cross in. Only Michal Pospisil was in the Aberdeen penalty area for Hearts, but Elliot?s cross picked him out perfectly and speaking of perfect, that word doesn?t even begin to describe the sweet first-time volley that Pospisil planted right into the top corner of the net. Definitely a goal that merited the old ?pick it out? expression! Cracking strike.
Aberdeen responded well though and it wasn?t long before we witnessed one of the worst decisions I?ve ever seen. In a packed Hearts penalty area, Stevie Crawford wriggled free of his marker and would have got a shot in (and probably scored) if he hadn?t been blatantly held back as he turned. The Aberdeen players were furious and rightly so?..Clark insisted he never saw it but there?s no way on this earth that the linesman didn?t, but as usual he didn?t have the bottle to get involved. I know this decision went in Hearts? favour but I was still a bit miffed??.if this is how low the officiating in the country has stooped then there really is no hope for any of us. Truly shocking.
Things got even more frustrating for Aberdeen as they slipped further behind. Cesnauskis, who was deployed wide left in Skacel?s normal position, skipped to the bye-line and cut it back for Callum Elliot, who showed predatory instincts that John Robertson himself would have been proud of, getting in front of his marker at the near post to flick the ball behind Langfield. Elliot?s really starting to look the part these days.
It was slightly rough justice on Aberdeen, who despite not ever being in control of the game, definitely did not deserve to be a couple of goals down. They came very close to pulling one back soon after though, Smith again causing havoc down the left and setting up Crawford, who blasted a shot just wide of Gordon?s left hand post.
Hearts started to gain more control of the midfield with Brellier in particular catching the eye. Cesnauskis, who had tried to be a little too clever at times in his own half, was causing problems further up the field and he went close with a shot from the edge of the area just before half-time. Then right on half-time Pospisil was sent clear on goal??just as he was about to shoot, Diamond pulled him back for a clear penalty and red card for the defender. I?m not too sure why so many Dons defenders complained about the decision: it was the clearest last-man foul you?ll ever see and he had to walk. Pressley duly buried the spot-kick and the tie was over by half-time.
As is often the case when a team is three up at half-time, the second half was a bit of a non-event. Hearts were content to conserve energy and invite the ten men onto them and although the visitors fought doggedly for some consolation, the result was never in doubt.
As we?re used to seeing in second halves, the referee managed to ruin any fluidity at all by consistently blowing for free-kicks that were either not fouls, or were but could have been ignored to allow the advantage.
Aberdeen created a couple of half-chances: Nicholson scooped over from close range but it appeared to bobble just before he hit it?..and a close range header brought out a blinding reaction save from Gordon.
Hearts played some nice enough football without ever dazzling. Beslija showed some nice touches but didn?t appear to want to take a man on and a low-key debut ended in disappointment when he had to be stretchered off after apparently twisting his knee. Let?s hope it?s not too serious. The other debutant Goncalves can be well pleased with his day though: a solid shift at left-back was crowned with a fabulous last-ditch tackle late in the game to prevent what looked a certain goal. As for his long throws, they have to be seen to be believed!
So all-in-all, Hearts fans should be pretty satisfied. A team missing several key players never really got out of second gear but still comfortably won this match. Yes they got the breaks at crucial times, but I did always get the impression they could have upped it if they ever had to, so that augurs well for the future. The same result against the same opposition next Saturday would do, but that?s a different game and we?ll more than likely have a completely different team to support that day as well! Bring it on???
Player Ratings
Gordon 7
Had little to do but what he did have to do he did well. Had one great save from point-blank header in second half.
Neilson 5
Got a bit of a roasting from Smith early on, but had a steadier second half and used the ball reasonably well.
Goncalves 7
Looks a good player. Always looking to play a pass instead of lumping it forward and has bags of pace. Beaten a couple of times in second half that led to a booking, but generally encouraging. Amazing long throw!
Pressley 4
Looked very slow and rusty. Clearly fouled Crawford a number of times without punishment. Nice penalty though.
Webster 8
Hardly put a foot wrong. Strolled through the game nonchalently and won everything in the air.
Brellier 8
Another faultless performance. Nothing got past him and he used the ball well.
Johnson 4
Put everything into it but just looks too lightweight to play in this position. Second to most balls. Seems a decent enough set-piece taker though.
Cesnauskis 7
Gave away possession early on with silly dribbling out of his own penalty box, but went on to play pretty well and looked the liveliest of our wide-men. Has improved a lot in recent weeks.
Beslija 5
Quiet debut that disappointingly ended in injury. Hit some nice passes but didn’t appear fit enough to try and take his man on.
Pospisil 7
Very lively performance and although he’s not the strongest, he’s always hungry for the ball. Fantastic goal.
Elliot 8
Another top performance. The transformation in this lad since he scored his first goal is phenomenal and he led the line really well here. Great to see him scoring poacher’s goal too.
Makela 5
Didn’t get much chance to show what he can do, but appears fast and strong and could be pretty useful.
Wasn’t really involved all that much.
