RELENTLESS REDS
Maestro McLean leads the way as dominant Dons cruise to victory
IT was difficult keeping track of how many times Aberdeen jumped on top of Hearts in midfield, put them under pressure and won the ball back to instigate attacks.
Ian Cathro’s side just could not handle it. Could not keep possession at times. It was that unyielding harassment that led, largely, to the catastrophic errors which permitted Jonny Hayes to add to Shay Logan’s early goal and wrap up a dominant, commanding performance.
Kenny McLean was at the centre of so much of that sheer hard graft. He was at the centre of pretty much everything the Pittodrie side did.
Comfortable on the ball and supremely hardworking, he was a real driving force just a matter of days after being ignored by Scotland manager Gordon Strachan for the upcoming international matches against Canada and Slovenia.
Aberdeen stomped all over a visiting side that, a couple of early opportunities apart, never really threatened to lay a glove on them to seal a ninth home win in a row.
Hearts were poor again. Head coach Cathro has recorded just five wins in 17 games since taking charge and things do not seem to be improving greatly.
Esmael Goncalves was isolated up front for long spells. Distribution and decision-making was poor. Aberdeen’s punters chanted about how easy it was during the second half as Hayes, Niall McGinn and McLean ran riot.
It should have been more than 2-0 in the end. Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes admitted as much, but could do nothing other than praise his players for a victory that keeps them sitting pretty in second place in the Premiership.
‘We spoke about being relentless and really aggressive with our work, put teams under pressure and have that quality in the final third,’ he said.
‘It was a pleasing result at 2-0, but it could have been a lot more. The honesty is screaming out of the team. They cannot give me any more physically.
‘They are a credit to themselves and give me and the club everything every week.
‘It was important for Kenny to maintain that level of performance and approach. He was disappointed about Scotland, but he channelled it in the right way.
‘Aberdeen should be involved in meaningful games at the end of the season.
‘For too many years, it was just fulfilling fixtures but now we have a bit of purpose.
‘We have a cup to try to win and second spot to secure. It’s how you finish a season that’s remembered, so let’s see if we can see the job through.’
The Dons did have Jayden Stockley sent off in the final minute for appearing to swing an arm at Krystian Nowak, but McInnes refused to be too critical of referee Steven McLean.
‘I think he swings his arm out to fob off the challenge rather than inflict any damage, but it depends on how the referee sees it,’ said the Aberdeen boss.
By that stage, the game was done and dusted.
Despite having had a claim for handball turned down in the very first minute, though, the Dons did have to withstand two early chances for the visitors with Sam Nicholson seeing a shot from distance touched over by goalkeeper Joe Lewis and then putting a shot over on the quarter-hour after being set up by Arnaud Djoum.
The punishment for such profligacy would be severe. Just six minutes later, the home side took the lead.
McGinn delivered a dangerous cross from the left and Logan was given the freedom of the area to nip in behind the marooned Lennard Sowah and power a header into the net. The full-back certainly enjoyed his celebrations, racing all the way along the Main Stand touchline to midway inside the home half to milk the applause.
Adam Rooney had the ball in the net again within moments of the second half getting underway after Jack Hamilton had parried a low drive from Graeme Shinnie, but assistant referee John McCrossan had already raised his flag for offside.
Hayes killed it on the hour, though. For the umpteenth time, Hearts were harried out of their stride in the centre of the field with Alex Tziolis forced to play a desperate pass backwards to Tasos Avlonitis midway inside the visiting half.
The Greek had plenty of time to mop up the danger and tried to knock the ball back to Hamilton. He was miles short, however, and Hayes gleefully nipped in to round the keeper and roll the ball into the empty net.
Goncalves did get on to a knock-on from substitute Bjorn Johnsen and force a close-range block from Lewis on 73 minutes, but McGinn should have made it 3-0 at the other end moments later when heading over from a pinpoint cross from Hayes.
After Stockley, on for Rooney, had been red-carded for appearing to swing an arm at Nowak inside the Hearts half, visiting substitute Malaury Martin found himself clean through on goal from a flickon from Johnsen.
His scuffed effort, easily held by Lewis, summed up Hearts’ day. It summed up their team. Incapable of doing even the simplest things properly. ABERDEEN (4-3-3): Lewis; Logan, Taylor, O’Connor, Considine; Shinnie, Jack, McLean; Hayes (Christie 84), Rooney (Stockley 75), McGinn (Ross 88). Subs not used: Alexander, Pawlett, Wright, Storey. Booked: Shinnie. Sent off: Stockley. HEARTS (4-1-4-1): Hamilton; Struna, Avlonitis, Nowak, Sowah; Tziolis (Kitchen 74); Walker (Martin 88), Djoum (Johnsen 65), Cowie, Nicholson; Goncalves. Subs not used: Noring, Rherras, Hughes, Choulay. Booked: Tziolis, Walker, Martin. Referee: Steven McLean. Attendance: 12,178.