High-flying Hearts gun down the Dons
Aberdeen have set the “best of the rest” standard in recent years.
But table-topping Hearts showed they have raised the bar this time around with a spirited win over the Dons. This Hearts side aren’t just giving Celtic a run for their money this season. They are setting the pace. Aberdeen simply could not live with the Jam Tarts in a first-half they were lucky to escape just two goals behind. Derek McInnes’ side improved in the second 45. But the damage had been done thanks to an Arnaud Djoum header and a Steven Naismith penalty before the break. Hearts remain three points clear at the top of the Premiership today. And on this evidence, they have every chance of staying there. Hearts’ towering start to the season has been built on rock-solid foundations. The loss of crucial pair John Souttar and Uche Ikpeazu will be felt by the Jam Tarts at both ends of the park. But Craig Levein’s teams are made of stern stuff. They went on the offensive from the first whistle against Aberdeen – and could have been ahead with less than three minutes on the clock. First, Olly Lee caused havoc in the Dons’ box with an in-swinging corner, during which three home players hit the deck amidst the usual corner kick wrestling. Ref Kevin Clancy wasn’t interested. But in the very next passage of play, Demetri Mitchell met another corner on the volley, sending an awkward effort just past the post with Djoum lurking. Aberdeen have endured a patchy start to their campaign. A thumping, 4-1 win over St Mirren before the international break gave Dons fans hope their team had found their feet. But roared on by the packed home stands, Hearts set about putting the Dons on their backsides. Naismith came close midway through the first half, poking Lee’s cross just wide of the far post. It wasn’t far off one-way traffic when Hearts took the lead. They went ahead when Andy Considine was penalised for a foul on Naismith eight minutes before the break. Callumn Morrison stepped up to whip in a deadly set-piece from the right channel, from which Djoum rifled a perfect header past Joe Lewis. There were shouts for a penalty two minutes later when Mikey Devlin and Clevid Dikamona tangled in the Dons’ box, but they were ignored by the referee. But when Naismith appeared to hit the deck and drag Lewis Ferguson down with
him, Clancy pointed to the spot, and Naismith stepped up himself to send Hearts into the interval two goals to the good. Aberdeen’s fury over the penalty award was clear, with gaffer McInnes making straight for the referee at half-time. But the passivity of his side’s performance should have been of greater concern to the Dons boss. In remedy, Niall McGinn and Scott Wright came on at half-time in place of Dominic Ball and Sam Cosgrove. They gave the visitors a muchneeded injection of pace and intent, and it paid off directly when the lively McGinn was pulled to the ground by Marcus Godinho on the box. Gary Mackay-Steven slammed home from the spot for the fourth time this season to give the travelling fans hope. By the time Lewis dived miles to his left to superbly save Naismith’s second penalty of the game – awarded for a Logan foul on Sean Clare – the Dons support started to sense they might get something. However, Zdenek Zlamal killed off their hopes late on by tipping a goalbound Mackay-Steven effort past the post. Aberdeen fans are still looking for consistency from their side. Hearts punters, meanwhile, are simply enjoying the ride.