DREAM IS STILL ON FOR EURO JACKPOT
Battling Gorgie men keep alive hopes of £5m bounty with vital win over Dons
WHEN eight minutes of added time finally ended, Steven Naismith raised his fists to the air and roared. In the heat of the moment, he failed to shake the hand of opposite number Barry Robson and, in hindsight, that might have been the only thing he got wrong all day.
There were five million reasons why Hearts really had to win this game. Five million reasons why losing was an unthinkable prospect.
Defeat to Aberdeen would have ended hopes of another third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership. With that would have gone hopes of group stage European football next season and a potential £5million windfall.
There’s work to be done yet. Aberdeen play St Mirren at home on Wednesday night while Hearts travel to Ibrox for a daunting meeting with Rangers. On the final day, the Gorgie men face city rivals Hibs while the Dons travel to Parkhead for a Celtic trophy party. For Scottish football, it’s a gripping scenario.
After falling behind to a Mattie Pollock header after 31 minutes, Hearts would have settled for any hope at all.
A battling fightback witnessed terrific strikes either side of halftime from Josh Ginnelly and captain Lawrence Shankland narrow the gap between third and fourth to just two points.
‘We have to take it to the last game now,’ said Shankland. ‘Our sole focus was just to win today — the way results have gone, it was a must-win.
‘That was our job, we’ve done it and we’ll see what happens now.
‘We need a couple of massive results now. It’s in their hands and the pressure is on them. We just have to take care of ourselves.’
Watching from the back of the room as he spoke was the last man to score 30 goals for Hearts in a season. John Robertson reached the landmark in 1987/88 and, after claiming his 27th of the campaign, Shankland has two games left to get there.
‘I’m getting closer to 30 goals but I won’t get too excited,’ he said. ‘If it happens, it would be a great achievement and I’m on 27 now which is a good return. Hopefully I can get a few more now.’
For Aberdeen, a yellow card for manager Robson summed up a day of frustration. A win would have sealed third place. Avoiding defeat would have guaranteed European football of some kind. As things stand, a Hibs win over Rangers today would tee up a nail-biting fight for the key European places.
This was a game which deserved a live television audience. Hearts’ reluctance to admit Sky cameras to Tynecastle for a fifth visit of the season restricted coverage to payper-view subscribers. And those who paid the money received full value. From start to finish it was breathless.
Kelle Roos is one of the reasons this Aberdeen team have spent the last four months building up the Granite City’s reputation for parsimony. They don’t give much away. And the Dutchman pulled off two big early stops from Shankland and the lively Yutaro Oda.
While Roos was inspired, Hearts opposite number Zander Clark failed to cover himself in glory for the goal which nudged Aberdeen ahead after 31 minutes.
Pollock doesn’t score often. When the on-loan Watford central defender does chip in, it tends to happen against Hearts.
Leighton Clarkson swung a corner towards the far post. Clark came for the ball and had to take it, but aimed a punch at fresh air instead. Pollock had the easiest of headers, nodding his second goal for Aberdeen. His first was against the same opponents in a 3-0 win at Pittodrie in March.
Hearts should have levelled instantly. Alex Cochrane’s one-two with Ginnelly created a terrific chance for the wing-back and he would surely have scored but for a brilliant intervention from Liam Scales.
With Roos playing out of his skin, it would take something out of the ordinary to bring Hearts level before half-time. A goal of the very highest quality.
There wasn’t much on for Ginnelly when he received the ball from Barrie McKay on the edge of the area. Lifting his head, the attacker curled a sublime strike into the top postage stamp corner of the Aberdeen net. This time, for once, Roos had no response. A tram parked on the goalline couldn’t have stopped it.
Hearts had the wind in their sails now. The home team began a feisty second half with energy and purpose. Buoyed by a goal before half-time, their dander was up.
A second goal after 56 minutes was almost as inevitable as the scorer. An overlapping run from Cochrane produced a clipped cross towards the near post where Hearts skipper Shankland timed his run perfectly to get in front of Scales and guide the ball brilliantly into the top corner for 2-1. A VAR check for offside came to nothing.
When McKay curled a chance for a third goal wide of the far post, Robson felt the need to act. Aberdeen had lost their way, the introduction of Ryan Duncan, Shay Morris and Jack MacKenzie an attempt to get a foot back in the game again.
The forward momentum of Hearts was disrupted by the loss of Ginnelly to injury. The wide man began a run of 10 goals in 16 games with a strike against Aberdeen in January. Ahead of two seasondefining games against Rangers and Hibs, he’d be a huge loss now.
Had Ginnelly, rather than Alan Forrest, been presented with the glorious chance slotted wide of the target by the Tynecastle winger, Hearts would surely have won this game by more.
In hindsight they really should have, but the lack of a third goal was no disaster.
A trip to Ibrox on Wednesday is followed by a mouthwatering Edinburgh derby on the final day. They’re still in the hunt.