Flattering to deceive

Cathro’s Hearts are sunk after Hayes clinches victory for Dons

ABERDEEN travelled to Edinburgh knowing that a defeat would see them lose their grip on third place in the Scottish Premiership table. They left the capital with a healthy cushion over Hearts — and now sit just two points behind that runners-up spot they have come to consider as private property.

In opening up a six-point gap on the Gorgie boys, Derek McInnes’ men looked at least that far — and then some — ahead of their opponents in a one-sided contest at a sold-out Tynecastle.

Even the most blinkered of locals could hardly deny that their team had been given a lesson by the visitors, who made up for any lack of polish with their sheer professionalism.

A Jonny Hayes goal with 66 minutes on the clock, reward for a dominant performance, was ultimately all that separated the sides on the night. It could have been, probably should have been, a much more decisive victory for the men from the Granite City.

The home side had broken Cathro’s duck in fine style with their midweek thrashing of Kilmarnock, a first win for the new gaffer setting Tynecastle rocking — and doing a great deal to win over supporters who had previously been veering between sceptical and downright disgruntled.

Against visitors who had ended their own mini-slump with back-to-back victories over Motherwell and Hamilton, Hearts needed to harness the energy of a home crowd and build on their momentum with a double-quick start.

Without long-term injury victim Callum Paterson, of course, they were missing a source of offensive drive and defensive solidity; young Liam Smith was asked to fill some pretty big boots at right-back.

Both Hayes and then Niall McGinn tested the rookie early on, looking to spin behind him in search of a breakthrough. The fact that the wingers had to switch flanks inside the opening quarter of an hour can be counted as a positive for the Scotland Under-21 defender.

There weren’t many in the home side to emerge with pass marks from a first half utterly lacking in subtlety. To describe some of the football played by both teams as hit and hope would be to criminally overplay the optimism of all involved.

Aberdeen were almost completely dominant in terms of territory, possession and — most importantly — scoring opportunities created, even if the fact that two Dons defenders found their way into referee Willie Collum’s book inside half an hour suggested a certain early nervousness.

The visitors had the first good sight on goal with 15 minutes gone, Hayes and McGinn working a short corner and picking out Mark Reynolds with a great cross, the centre-half sending his header wide from all of six yards. It had to go down as a golden opportunity missed.

Just before the half-hour mark, McGinn finally managed to elude Smith, driving to the bye-line and then standing up a perfect ball to the back post. There was nothing wrong with Kenny McLean’s header. It just happened to be thwarted by a brilliant Jack Hamilton save.

Hamilton was at it again just minutes later, making a leg save from McGinn this time, Hearts having been exposed when Hayes and Graeme Shinnie worked a two-on-one down the left wing.

By now Aberdeen were more or less camped in the Hearts half, pinning them in and cutting off all but the most fortunate out balls. Hearts had to find some way out of this stranglehold.

Incredibly, nothing smarter than a long ball into the box opened the Dons up, big Bjorn Johnsen causing chaos — only for Jamie Walker to totally miss with an attempted volley on the dropping ball. It could have been — maybe even should have been — 1-0 to the hosts.

That was just one chance, however, set against a landslide of Aberdeen attacks; the visitors coming closest to an opener just before half-time, Shinnie hitting the post with a shot from distance — with Adam Rooney unable to gather the rebound.

After being absolutely pummelled in the first half, Hearts absolutely had to show something — gumption, a willingness to grind, some sort of forward motion — after the break.

Surely Cathro would find some way to prevent Aberdeen crushing his team into a smaller and smaller holding pattern, running the risk of collapsing in on themselves.

Dropping Krystian Nowak into a three-man central defence at least cut off some of the Aberdeen supply lines to striker Rooney. And Hearts did appear to have more options when they got the ball.

Yet the pattern of Dons pressure was not entirely broken. They had shots deflected or saved. They won corners. They turned the screw. The only thing they couldn’t do, it seemed, was score.

Rooney’s off night continued as he pushed a header wide from a Shay Logan cross just before the hour-mark. He also completely failed to do anything with another Shinnie shot that fell at his feet six yards out. Football being the game that it is, might the visitors pay for their profligacy?

Smith’s flashing header at least suggested a new intent to attack in the home ranks. Gradually, this was becoming a contest.

Yet, with 66 minutes gone, the Aberdeen breakthrough that had been threatened for so long was finally delivered.

McGinn was the provider, darting down the right and driving the ball low across goal — where Hayes came steaming in to to finish with power.

McLean had been instrumental in that opener, playing a typically clever ball down the flank for McGinn to chase. And that cuteness, that footballing brainpower, is perhaps what separated the sides more than anything.

They know how to play, know how to press home an advantage and how to deny opponents the oxygen of opportunity.

Hearts had a couple of half chances, of course. Walker — he of the reputation for simulation — would have found few complaining, actually, if he had gone down under any one of two or three daft ankle taps inside the box just after the Aberdeen goal. Staying on his feet, his reward was to see a driven cross cleared.

McLean had a low shot gathered with ease by Hamilton, who was actually pretty faultless in goal for the home team, now being cut open at ease.

Cathro did what he could to reverse the flow, throwing on more attacking players and urging his men forward. Sheer weight of numbers forced an opening for Walker with five minutes remaining, the winger getting power in his shot on the turn — but Joe Lewis making a solid save.

With the very last kick of the game, Don Cowie threw himself at a flicked-on ball just four yards from goal, Logan did the same — and the defender just managed to put the Hearts midfielder off as they clashed heads, the ball drifting wide just in time for full-time.