Hearts 4 Aberdeen 1
By Bryn Palmer, PA Sport

Three goals in a pulsating six minute spell just before half-time gave hearts a deserved victory over a demoralised Aberdeen in a rousing match at Tynecastle.

John Robertson with a penalty, Steve Fulton, and Colin Cameron cancelled out an earlier strike from Aberdeen's Mike Newell in a remarkable turn around of fortunes after Aberdeen had dominated the opening quarter of an hour.

Robertson who was demoted to the reserves earlier in the week after a training ground bust-up with manager Jim Jefferies.

But after Neil McCann was felled in the box by full-back Russell Anderson Robertson slammed home the penalty which changed the game.

A minute later Steve Fulton also justified his manager's faith in giving him a new two-year contract as he ran onto Stephen Frail's neat pass inside the area to drive the ball past Derek Stillie into the far corner.

Frail was also at the heart of the move which led to the third goal, sliding the ball through for Colin Cameron to apply a cool finish after a dummy from Robertson.

The match had started ten minutes late to give a large crowd time to get into Tynecastle's first match of the season, but the players wasted no time once the action started.

Tempers flared with three bookings in the opening ten minutes, the first for Hearts defender Paul Ritchie after a crude challenge on Newell.

Joe Miller then found his way into the referee's notebook after aiming a kick at Neil Pointon and Stefano Salvatori was also guilty of over enthusiasm to earn a third yellow card.

Miller had almost given the visitors the lead on five minutes with a 25-yard volley that just sailed over Rousset's crossbar but it was his beautifully flighted cross which gave Newell the chance to head Aberdeen in front after 12 minutes.

The pace relented slightly in the second half as the players struggled in the searing heat but it was Hearts again who looked like adding to their advantage.

John Robertson miss-kicked from ten yards out when set up by Fulton then McCann nearly repeated his heading exploits of the previous week but this time his header drifted wide from Fulton's cross.

Aberdeen's task became nigh on impossible 15 minutes from time when Brian O'Neil held back Stephane Adam when the Frenchman had a clear run on goal ahead of him.

The referee had no choice but to brandish the red card and Aberdeen's frustrations grew when Gilles Rousset pulled off a flying save to deny Eoin Jess.

Joe Miller also had a great opportunity to put Aberdeen back with a shout before substitute Thomas Flogel killed off any thoughts of a come back when he side footed home from Stephane Adams cross with a minute remaining.

Teams

Hearts: Rousset, Frail, Pointon, Weir, Salvatori, Ritchie, McCann, Fulton, Robertson, Cameron, Adam.

Subs: Murray, Flogel, Goss.

Aberdeen: Stillie, Anderson, Tzvetanov, Bernard, Kombouare, O'Neil, Miller, Jess, Newell, Windass, Buchan.

Subs: Dodds, Rowson, Inglis.

Referee: G Clyde (Bearsden)

Taken from sportinglife.com