One warning then Aberdeen strike.

JAMES TRAYNOR

6 Sep 1990

Aberdeen 3, Hearts 0

IF ABERDEEN continue to produce the fluent football which demoralised Celtic last Saturday and Hearts last night, there could be no stopping them.

These days their play seems to be on a level way above the comprehension of others, and at no time did the Tynecastle side look capable of reaching such heights.

Hearts, in fact, were on their way out of the Skol Cup after only a handful of minutes' play on a Pittodrie surface which had taken a beating in the driving rain.

The Edinburgh side failed to compete in midfield, where the industry of Grant and the elegance of Bett and Connor was a formidable combination.

Aberdeen created an abundance of chances but in the end were more than content with their three-goal triumph.

Their opponents had arrived with revenge on their minds, because memories of their last visit to Pittodrie on cup business -- a Scottish Cup quarter-final tie last March -- remain painfully vivid.

They had been beaten 4-1 and although they conceded only three goals this time around, they knew they had taken another thrashing just the same.

Normally, Hearts can rely on their central defenders, but even Craig Levein and David McPherson were pulled out of position by Hans Gillhaus and Paul Mason.

The struggles of McPherson and Levein, in fact, were alarming not only for Hearts, but also for Scotland.

National manager Andy Roxburgh, who must fashion a team to play against Romania in a European championship qualifying match at Hampden next Wednesday, may have been delighted the other night with the exciting form of Ally McCoist, who scored a hat trick in Rangers' Skol Cup win over Raith Rovers, but any growing sense of well-being must now be subsiding.

Admittedly, Levein and McPherson were under severe pressure and were not helped by the tricky conditions, but at no time last night did they look confident.

Roxburgh will now consider it an enormous gamble to field them both against Gheorghe Hagi and his Romanian friends at Hampden.

However, that is a concern for next week.

This morning Aberdeen and their fans, who didn't seem to mind the driving rain, will wait for news of their semi-final opponents.

The draw will be made at 10.30 at Hampden, and the three other teams will be praying to avoid the Dons.

Not even the most optimistic of Aberdeen fans could have anticipated the potency with which the cup-holders would start the game.

Hearts were not granted time to settle on the treacherous surface and soon they were staring in bewilderment as the Dons opened up a two-goal lead.

It was not even as though Hearts were punished without some kind of warning, because Connor should have scored in the first minute and probably would have done, had he not been falling backwards when he struck the ball from 12 yards.

However, Hearts were still unprepared when Aberdeen swept forward in earnest and Van de Ven stepped up with only seven minutes gone to strike the ball with such venom that the net was almost torn away from the posts.

As soon as Bett had played a long diagonal ball left to Gillhaus, it was clear Hearts' defence had been caught in disarray.

The sting was taken out of Gillhaus's cross by Colquhoun's outstretched leg, but Mason darted away from his marker to continue the move.

He clipped the ball to the far post, where Van de Ven raced in to score.

Aberdeen, ignoring the dreadful conditions, were cutting through the opposing defence at will and there was a sense of foreboding when Van de Ven gathered the ball on the right.

He found Mason with a superb cross and the striker hit the corner of the net, curling the ball beyond Smith's reach.

Foster's electrifying turn of pace almost carried him beyond the reach of Irvine, but the defender stretched out a leg to halt the striker, who tumbled inside the box.

It was a tough decision for the referee to call and he allowed play to continue, invoking an angry response from Foster, who held his head in his hands like a man who had been terribly wronged.

It was but momentary respite for Hearts' defence, which was becoming increasingly beleaguered, and they were fortunate to survive another attack in 33 minutes.

McKimmie chipped the ball across the face of the goal and Gillhaus and Smith both leaped to make contact.

The ball broke loose and bounced dangerously close to the empty goal.

Hearts' frustration perhaps was reflected in a booking for McKinlay, who had brought down Van de Ven, but as the referee blew for half-time most of the 15,500 crowd sensed it was all over.

After the interval nothing else was going to halt Aberdeen and Grant had two good opportunities in quick succession.

The Dons duly went on to disturb Hearts' net for a third time when Bett scored from a penalty 17 minutes from time after Levein and Kidd had brought Gillhaus crashing to the turf.

Foster was booked for complaining too loudly about the decision, but instead of shouting at the referee he should have been chastising his team-mates.

ABERDEEN -- Snelders, McKimmie, Robertson, Grant, McLeish, Irvine, Van den Ven, Beck, Mason, Connor, Gillhaus.

Substitutes -- Watson, Jess.

HEARTS -- Smith, Berry, McKinlay, Levein, McCreery, McPherson, Colquhoun, Mackay, Robertson, Foster, Bannon.

Substitutes -- Ferguson, Kidd.

Referee -- G Smith (Edinburgh).

Taken from the Herald