Dons silence critics with a four-star performance

By IAN BROADLEY

26 Aug 1996

ABERDEEN............4 HEARTS.........0

EARLY form can be deceptive if not downright baffling.

Just ask those fans who jeered Aberdeen off the pitch at Pittodrie last week following their salutary lesson in the UEFA Cup and those who cheered Hearts 24 hours later despite their failure against Red Star Belgrade in the Cup-Winners' Cup.

Yesterday the Dons put that embarrassing blip firmly behind them with a vibrant performance, while Hearts incurred the wrath of their manager after offering barely token resistance.

Their emphatic victory carried Aberdeen into third place in the premier division as Hearts were carted into intensive care.

The evidence indicates that Aberdeen will be the best of the rest and be able to sustain a credible challenge to the Old Firm, but there is much work still to be done at Tynecastle to continue their revival.

Winger Joe Miller put Aberdeen on the way to a highly impressive win with a goal in injury time at the end of the first half, when he accepted a short free kick from Bulgarian import Ilian Kiriakov then curled a 25-yard shot behind French keeper Gilles Rousset.

In truth, Aberdeen should have been further ahead by that stage, having missed a penalty and numerous chances against their hapless opponents.

Hearts, who had been under pressure from the very first minute, folded in an alarmingly tame fashion and paid a heavy price.

Manager Jim Jefferies was in no mood to spare their feelings.

He insisted later: "That was a shambles which comes pretty close to the worst performance since I took charge.

"The players were warned that Aberdeen's pride had been stung by playing very badly in the UEFA Cup in midweek.

They played as if their lives depended on the outcome.

"We were an embarrassment from start to finish.

I could point to our efforts against Red Star, but that would only be making excuses.

"Professional players must be able to produce better than this as Aberdeen simply over-ran us." The rout was watched by Barry Town manager Gary Barnett, who now fully appreciates the task awaiting when they meet the Scots next month in the UEFA Cup.

Understandably, Roy Aitken was elated at his side's return to form.

"We silenced our critics after an over-reaction in certain quarters.

We did our talking where it mattered.

"Overall, I must be happy with the start made, having won through in both Coca-Cola and UEFA Cups and claiming third place in the league." Hearts made a poor start and proceded to become worse as the game unfolded.

They conceded a penalty after just five minutes, when Kiriakov was brought down by Gary Mackay.

Keeper Rousset kept their hopes alive when he dived along his line to deny Billy Dodds.

However, his expertise failed to inspire his team-mates.

Nor did it upset their rivals, who carved out chances with almost every attack.

It looked as if Hearts would hold out until a dangerous cross by Stephen Glass was headed against the near post by ex-Hull City player Dean Windass with just three minutes left in the first half.

Then the Dons hit Hearts with that magnificent goal from Miller to provide just reward for all their enterprise.

When Bulgarian defender Tzanko Tzvetanov, an accomplished attacking left back, curled in a cross in the fifty-third minute and Dodds beat Rousset with a neat glancing header the outcome needed no crystal ball to predict.

Frustrated at their lack of progress, Hearts tempers flared and Goss, Rousset and defender David Weir were all booked.

In 76 minutes Weir fouled Windass.

The striker took the kick himself and exploded a 25-yarder into the top corner with Rousset helpless, and he did nothing for Gallic relations by blowing kisses to the keeper, who had squared up to him minutes earlier.

Six minutes from the finish Kiriakov, busy and effective in midfield, deftly created the opening for Glass to steer the ball in from 12 yards and complete the rout.

TEAMS ABERDEEN - Walker, Grant, Tzvetanov, Young, Irvine, Inglis, Miller, Dodds, Windass, Kirkiakov, Glass.

Substitutes - Shearer, Woodthorpe, Craig.

HEARTS - Rousset, McManus, Ritchie, Weir, McPherson, Mackay, Goss, Cameron, Thomas, Fulton, Pointon.

Substitutes - McCann, Colquhoun, Frail.

Referee - J Herald (Newton Mearns).

Taken from the Herald