Table-topping Hearts keep the head at Tynecastle as Aberdeen pay penalty
FOOTBALL history could well have been made at Tynecastle when the managers of both teams approached the referee at half-time with as many complaints as the other.
At least Craig Levein’s team were winning 2-0 at that stage, and yet he still found several gripes to get off his chest to Kevin Clancy. Standing beside the Hearts manager was Derek McInnes who also had plenty to say about, among other things, a penalty decision that had gone against his side.
It was that kind of day. There were 45 fouls awarded – that’s one every two minutes, and 11 bookings felt lenient. It was a wonderfully chaotic match.
Hearts won because they were so much better at handling the pace and intensity in the first-half, while Aberdeen took 45 minutes to get going. The Tynecastle men sit top of the Premiership and head into next Sunday’s League Cup final against Celtic with some confidence.
Levein said: “It was a brilliant match. That was a big test for us after losing last week, our first defeat.
“We’ve lost players through injury and so it was good to see Oliver Bozanic and Clevid Dikamona come in and do well. And young Marcus Godinho hasn’t even played a reserve match, which meant we had to rush him back in. A good day all round.”
And as for Mr Clancy, Levein added: “I could criticise but I thought it was a hard game for the referee, in all honesty. There was so much going on at both ends and in midfield there was constant contact.
“I’m sure when I look through the video that I will be saying we should have had another three penalties in the first half!”
That the first goal came from a freekick, with Hearts’ defender Andrew Considine going through Steven Naismith, was no great surprise. It was a foul, one of many on Naismith. Callum Morrison delivered a decent cross, Arnaud Djoum timed his leap and glanced the ball past Joe Lewis.
That was after 37 minutes. It was 2-0 soon afterwards.
Hearts had some decent shouts for a few penalties turned down by Clancy, all for pushing and pulling at a set-piece. Something had to give and, when Naismith hit the turf under pressure from Lewis Ferguson, whose hand landed on the ball, Clancy clearly had seen enough.
The referee pointed to the spot this time and Naismith put his shot straight into the net. That’s 10 for his club in what is turning out to be one of the best seasons of his career.
“Stevie was brilliant,” added Levein. “You wouldn’t have known he played two 90 minutes for Scotland. His energy is incredible. He and Steven McLean were brilliant in the first-half.”
But Aberdeen weren’t happy with the award. “I wanted to know why the ref gave it, which is why I spoke to him at half time,” said McInnes. “Naismith has slipped and brought down young Lewis, who puts his hand out as he fell and the ball hits his arm.
“We have to do better than that and see it for what it is. And it’s not a penalty.”
McInnes had to do something and so, after his rant, sent on Niall McGinn and Scott Wright for Sam Cosgrove and Dom Ball. The changes worked.
The second-half was 10 minutes old when McGinn cut inside Clevid Dikamona and the Hearts right-back used illegal means to halt the run, Clancy pointed to the penalty spot and Gary Mackay-Steven did the rest from 12 yards.
Aberdeen were now different, their movement and passing better, with Hearts rattled. There should have been an equaliser with 16 to go.
A driving run f rom Graeme Shinnie was halted on the edge of Hearts’ box by Jimmy Dunne’s timed tackle. The ball fell perfectly to James Wilson. It sat up for him to put his strong left foot through it and with goalkeeper to beat and 10 yards from goal he made a hash of things.
Wilson was then taken off and had to watch on when, with 10 minutes remaining, Shay Logan pulled Hearts substitute Sean Clare inside the box to give the home side a second penalty, only this time Naismith was denied by the excellent Joe Lewis.
Aberdeen thought they had made it 2-2 through Mackay-Steven but his shot along the grass was kept out by Zdenek Zlamal’s fingertip.
“Hands down, Hearts were the better team,” admitted McInnes. “This is the best Hearts side in a long time and everyone will find it hard here. We can’t expect to win at Tynecastle by playing for 45 minutes.”
This is the best Hearts side in a long time. Everyone will find it hard here