Hearts 3 Aberdeen 0

By Ken Gaunt, PA Sport

New Aberdeen manager Ebbe Skovdahl is living a nightmare just a few weeks into his reign at Pittodrie.

The Dons slumped to their fourth successive league defeat on Sunday and are still looking for their first goal and first point of the season.

To complete a night of misery Nigel Pepper was sent off for the third time in his Pittodrie career after clashing with Paul Ritchie three minutes from time.

Gary McSwegan scored a hat-trick to give Hearts victory and former Brondby boss Skovdahl cut a lonely figure at the end.

Last year he was involved in the Champions League with the Danish club.

Now he is involved in a desperate struggle to turn the Dons around.

It is difficult to see where the goals are going to come from with both Eoin Jess and Robbie Winters ineffective at Tynecastle.

The sun shone down on the Edinburgh ground but Skovdahl must have felt a shiver run down his spine with the way his team performed.

Hearts, however, found it difficult to break down Aberdeen in the first half.

The Dons went into this TV match with renewed optimism following their CIS Insurance Cup victory against Livingston in midweek.

But they fell a goal behind after 43 minutes when McSwegan made the breakthrough for Hearts.

Scotland striker Jess returned to Aberdeen's starting line-up after being dropped in midweek.

He replaced Darren Mackie while Rick Gillies retained his place after scoring the winner against Livingston.

Hearts, who also moved through in League Cup by beating Queen of the South, fielded a full strength side.

The home side began with a flourish with an audacious lob from all of 40 yards from McSwegan only narrowly off-target.

Aberdeen settled quickly into the match, however, and Nigel Pepper saw a well struck free-kick take a deflection off a defender before being scrambled to safety.

They looked quick and useful on the break early on and Winters dragged a shot wide after Andy Dow carved out the opening.

Hearts then stepped up the pace before the break and skipper Colin Cameron was playing an increasingly influential role.

He knocked a good effort wide after Steven Pressley linked up and then saw his well-struck shot turned away superbly by keeper David Preece.

Hearts supporters howled for a penalty after 29 minutes when Cameron was bundled over in the penalty area by skipper Derek Whyte but referee Mike McCurry surprisingly waved play on.

Aberdeen also had a claim for a penalty rejected when Paul Ritchie appeared to give Winters a nudge in the area.

Again referee McCurry stood firm.

Pressley fired wide from 20 yards before Hearts made the breakthrough two minutes from the interval.

Cameron's shot came back off his team-mate Stephane Adam and into the path of McSwegan, who rifled the ball in from close range.

McSwegan almost added a second in stoppage time but Preece made a superb block on the line.

Aberdeen were stunned again in the 50th minute when McSwegan grabbed his second goal of the game.

Cameron was again involved and after a neat exchange of passes in the penalty area between Adam and McSwegan, keeper Preece was left isolated and exposed.

There was a lack of confidence about Skovdahl's side, not to mention a lack of mobility about their play.

Gillies scorned a good chance of pulling a goal back in the 55th minute, sending a shot high into the crowd after Pressley only partially cleared a shot from Robbie Winters.

Skovdahl decided to shake things up, bringing on Mackie for Darren Young and Ilian Kiriakov for Andreas Mayer but Hearts still held the upper hand.

McSwegan then rattled the woodwork before completing his hat-trick five minutes from time when Ritchie nodded down a free-kick from Stevie Fulton into his path.

Aberdeen were reduced to 10 men three minutes from time when Pepper was red-carded and he will now miss the match against St Johnstone next Sunday.

Teams

Hearts: Rousset, Pressley, Naysmith, Ritchie, McSwegan, Adam, Cameron (Fulton 84), Jackson, Murray, Flogel, Severin.

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Locke, James, Carricomdo.

Booked: Severin.

Goals: McSwegan 44, 50, 85.

Aberdeen: Preece, Whyte, Pepper, Smith, Jess, Winters (McAllister 69), Mayer (Kiriakov 65), Anderson, Gillies, Young (Mackie 59), Dow.

Subs Not Used: Leighton, Perry.

Sent Off: Pepper (87).

Att: 12,803

Ref: Michael McCurry (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com