GLASS HAS PLENTY OF BOTTLE
Dons boss keeps turnaround going and hands Hearts a first league defeat
HEARTS’ unbeaten start to the league season is over, but this was a day about Aberdeen and manager Stephen Glass, who has guided his team through rough waters and out the other side.
How quickly things have changed for the 45-year-old. Having gone 10 games without a win, they have now picked up seven points in a week from matches against Hibernian, Rangers and Hearts.
What began as a tepid encounter exploded in the second period. The visitors finished the match with 10 men after Andy Halliday was sent off for a late challenge on Lewis Ferguson, who had earlier scored the winner for the hosts with an outstanding header.
Hearts took the lead on the brink of half-time through a John Souttar penalty, but it lit a fire underneath the Dons, who climbed into the top six of the Premiership.
This result had been coming for Hearts, whose bright start to the season has faded in the last fortnight. When Marley Watkins equalised four minutes after the restart, Robbie Neilson’s side looked shellshocked. They have now gone four without a win and were blunt in attack without the injured Liam Boyce.
Aberdeen had heroes all over the pitch. Scott Brown was man of the match. Ryan Hedges was unplayable in the second half. Ferguson and Ross McCrorie both turned in their best performances of the season.
The Dons had started the game by chasing after the visitors’ backline. It almost paid dividends when Beni Baningime lost possession and Watkins drove in on goal, but his shot was blocked.
Brown versus Armand Gnanduillet was quite the mismatch with the 5ft 8ins Aberdeen captain dwarfed by the 6ft 3ins striker. However, Hearts never really tried to take advantage of this and their long balls forward were often in behind for Josh Ginnelly, but his runs were well read by Brown, David Bates and McCrorie.
Both teams were calm in possession and not taking any risks. It meant the first half wasn’t the most entertaining of affairs, but it was an intriguing tactical battle.
When Souttar tried to step out of defence to force the issue, he lost the ball and Ferguson immediately played in Hedges, who sprinted into the gap that Souttar had vacated.
The winger took the ball in his stride but Craig Gordon read the situation well and raced off his line to narrow the angle. Hedges’s shot was saved well by Gordon’s left boot to keep the score level.
Ferguson shot wide from the edge of the area with another chance for the hosts.
Hearts weren’t creating much but, with half-time approaching, they began to take more strides forward, with both Cammy Devlin and Ginnelly shooting wide from the edge of the area.
Then, on the brink of half-time, the visitors pounced. Hedges gave the ball away and Michael Smith passed in field to Souttar, who launched forward one of those searching long balls but this time towards Gnanduillet. Brown got to it first and cut the pass out with the back of his head, but Gnanduillet had shrewdly peeled backwards and, with his first touch, he released Ginnelly in on goal.
Joe Lewis raced off his line, but Ginnelly’s feet were too quick for him and the goalkeeper made enough contact to justify him falling to the deck. Souttar stepped up and sent the penalty high to Lewis’ right. Aberdeen returned for the second period with Brown in midfield and gusto to their play. Ferguson almost scored an equaliser straight away but poked straight at Gordon following good work by Dean Campbell and Watkins. Four minutes after the restart, the hosts were level.
Brown kept the move alive by shifting the ball out wide to Campbell, who spied the run of Hedges and played the winger into the left channel of the box. He clipped his cross into the centre and Craig Halkett missed his attempt at a clearance. Watkins controlled the ball on his thigh, let it bounce and then unleashed an effort into the top corner from 12 yards.
If not for a world-class save by Gordon, Aberdeen would have taken the lead moments later. Hedges’ shot deflected into the path of Christian Ramirez, who shifted the ball onto his left foot and then drilled an effort towards the bottom corner. Gordon, however, read the situation to perfection and dived to his right, clawing the ball up in the air before collecting at the second attempt.
Aberdeen then had a couple of penalty claims waved away by referee Kevin Clancy after Ramirez strikes bounced off visiting bodies. Hearts were rattled by Aberdeen’s furious start to the second period and brought on Ben Woodburn and Barrie McKay to regain a foothold to proceedings.
It worked to some extent but, such was the quality of Aberdeen’s attacking play, a second was inevitable. Ferguson delivered from a well-rehearsed corner routine.
As Dylan McGeouch was shaping up to cross, Brown and Hedges made short bursts forward, flummoxing the Hearts defenders. As they were returning to their positions, Ferguson took off away from Baningime, with the Hearts midfielder’s run blocked by Hedges, who was shoved by Brown into his path. Ferguson’s header flew into the top corner and was a timely reminder of his quality with the Scotland squad set to be announced this week ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Hearts never looked like equalising and their afternoon went from bad to worse when Halliday took out Ferguson. The former Rangers midfielder had been targeted by home fans all match, but his tackle was dangerous and he could have no complaints about his red card.
ABERDEEN (3-4-2-1): Lewis; Bates, Brown, McCrorie; Ojo, Ferguson, McGeouch (McGinn 88), Campbell; Hedges, Watkins (Hayes 85); Ramirez.
Subs (not used): Woods, Emmanuel-Thomas, Gurr, Samuels, Longstaff. Booked: McCrorie, Campbell. HEARTS (3-4-3): Gordon; Souttar, Halkett, Kingsley; Smith, Devlin, Baningime, Cochrane (Halliday 72); Ginnelly (Woodburn 57), Gnanduillet, Mackay-Steven (McKay 57).
Subs (not used): Stewart, Haring, McEneff, Moore. Booked: Woodburn, Halkett. Sent off: Halliday. Referee: Kevin Clancy. Attendance: 9,736.