Dons double means Celtic have to wait
ABERDEEN demolished hapless Hearts to ensure Celtic must wait to wrap up the title.
Shay Logan and Jonny Hayes were on target either side of half-time as the Dons cruised to a deserved victory.
It was their ninth home win on the spin in all competitions – and one that all-but sealed their place in next season’s Europa League.
But it was as troubling an afternoon for Hearts as it was emphatic for their hosts.
The Jam Tarts now find themselves 20 points behind Aberdeen, with just five wins from 17 games under Ian Cathro.
TV reports of director of football Craig Levein issuing instructions to the Hearts bench were batted away by their head coach.
But amid the furore, described witheringly by Cathro as “directed hysteria”, Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes was simply happy with his side’s work. “It was a comprehensive win,” he said. “We spoke prior to the game about being relentless in the middle two-thirds of the pitch.
“The things that scream out about the team just now is their honesty, their relentlessness in their work.
“Yes – we can look at certain things, maybe being a bit more clinical, bringing that bit more quality, striving for that perfect performance.
“But physically, they cannot give any more than they are giving me.
“They are absolutely a credit to themselves. They give the club and myself everything every week.”
Hearts were soon stumbling, but, to be fair, they were sure-footed at the start.
Sam Nicholson saw a scorching 20-yarder tipped over the bar by Aberdeen keeper Joe Lewis after just five minutes.
Then, with 15 on the clock, Nicholson had the goal at his mercy after Arnaud Djoum squared the loose ball from Shay Logan’s terrific tackle on Esma Goncalves, but the Hearts star blasted high and wide. That was as good as it got for the Jam Tarts. The Dons, as they so often do on their own turf, got their opponents into a stranglehold quickly.
They took a deserved lead 22 minutes in when Logan ghosted into the box, unseen and unmarked, to head Niall McGinn’s pinpoint cross past the flailing Jack Hamilton.
The full-back celebrated by running the length of the pitch to celebrate with family and friends in one of Pittodrie’s executive boxes.
In the aftermath, Aberdeen’s performance was as polished as their hospitality offering.
They closed out the first-half in complete comfort, to the extent that Hearts’ director of football Craig Levein was moved to offer a tactical suggestion to his bench
It was then reported that Levein made his way to the dressing room at half-time.
Judging by the way the Dons tightened their grip in the second half, he needn’t have bothered.
Adam Rooney had the ball in the net three minutes after the re-start after Jack Hamilton parried a Graeme Shinnie rocket straight to his feet.
Fortunately for the Jam Tarts, the assistant referee’s flag was up for offside.
They – and centre half Alexandros Avlonitis in particular – weren’t so lucky an hour in.
The hapless Greek collected the ball under no immediate pressure, 30 yards from his own goal.
With Jonny Hayes incoming, he had time to clear his lines.
Instead, he turned and played a woefully short back-pass to his goalkeeper, who was swiftly rounded by Hayes.
The Dons wide man fired into the empty net to seal a victory far more emphatic than the scoreline suggested – and heap pressure on woeful Hearts.
“What you saw was that it’s a competitive game. Aberdeen probably showed across the 90 minutes that they are more consistent in their play,” said their head coach.
“They are well routined. It was a strong, organised performance from them. We, for sure, respect that.
“Inside the game it has come down to small details.”
The one downside for the Dons was that in the dying minutes, Jayden Stockley was sent off for lashing out at Krystian Nowak.