The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Shankland strikes for winner as Dons stumble in race for top-three millions
Hearts 2 Aberdeen 1
Aberdeen’s bid to finish third in the Premiership and land a potential multi-million cash boost suffered a blow with defeat at Tynecastle.
The Reds blew a one-goal lead to crash 2-1 to fourthplaced Hearts in a game billed as a potential £5 million showdown.
Aberdeen could have secured a third-placed finish with a victory in Edinburgh, especially with Hibs losing to Rangers yesterday.
However Barry Robson’s Reds now face a highpressure end to the campaign after Hearts slashed their lead to just two points.
With only two games remaining, against St Mirren (h) and Celtic (a), the Dons remain in the driving seat to finish third.
However the Reds have hit a drop in form at the wrong time with Robson’s Reds taking just one point from the last three fixtures.
The Dons have not won since Robson was given the managerial position on a permanent basis, signing a two-year contract.
Aberdeen went ahead in the 31st minute when Mattie Pollock rose at the back post to meet a Leighton Clarkson corner and head in from five yards.
Hearts hit back in the 43rd minute with a magnificent strike from Josh Ginnelly who fired into the top far corner from 20 yards.
And captain Lawrence Shankland sealed the win with a near-post finish in the 56th minute. In the biggest game of the season for both clubs Hearts held their nerve.
The battle between Aberdeen and Hearts is about much more than the bragging rights of finishing best of the rest outside the Old Firm this season.
Finishing third can have major ramifications for next season as the potential financial reward is so huge.
The club in third will receive a boost of up to £5 million with Europa or Conference League football on offer until Christmas.
That will give them a major transfer budget advantage over their rivals.
At the moment Aberdeen hold a two-point lead but Hearts hold the momentum.
On Saturday, Aberdeen failed to cope with the danger of Shankland.
No player has been involved in more goals in the Premiership this season than the former Dons striker.
He had been involved in 26 league goals with 22 goals and four assists – and added to that tally when scoring the winner.
Shankland, with 27 goals in total, operated slightly behind Ginnelly in a role that gave him that extra bit of space to create.
In the 56th minute Shankland broke away from Liam Scales to race in at the near post to meet a cross from Alex Cochrane.
He clinically shot home from five yards.
The warning signs had been there as Shankland had been allowed the space for seven shots, two of them saved by Kelle Roos. With his eighth he made it count as Roos was left badly exposed by his defence.
For a 10-minute spell the Aberdeen back four looked rattled.
They had secured six clean sheets in the seven games before facing Hearts.
But they were fortunate not to fall further behind in that frantic spell after Shankland scored as Hearts flooded forward.
It was Roos’s heroics that kept the scoreline down.
Three players began this high-pressure game who had not started for the Dons since 2022.
It was a huge demand to come in with limited game time for such a huge match.
Midfielder Connor Barron was pitched in for his first start since the 2-1 away loss to Kilmarnock on December 28. Jayden Richardson and Marley Watkins also came in – and failed to fully impress.
Barron, 20, has suffered a frustrating season due to injury with only 11 starts.
Aberdeen offered Barron a “significant” new contract early in the season but the midfielder has yet to sign it with another year left on his current deal. But when he was substituted after 60 minutes, he had given his all.
Striker Watkins made his first start since the 4-0 loss at Dundee United on October 8, when he was substituted at half-time.
Out of contract at the end of the season, Watkins replaced star striker Duk who failed a late fitness test on a hamstring injury.
Watkins had a low shot saved in the 18th minute from the edge of the box.
But that was his only shot at goal. He had 32 touches and 14 passes before coming off in the 79th minute.
Right-back Richardson also made his first start since the 3-2 loss to Rangers on December 20.
Bristol City are on the verge of pushing through a deal to secure right-back/ wing-back Ross McCrorie in a £2 million transfer.
And Aberdeen are set to sign Livingston right-back Nicky Devlin.
So this was the 22-yearold’s chance to deliver an argument for being given that right-back role next season – but he didn’t grab it.