JIMMY CAN'T BE KING OF CASTLE

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

Gordon Waddell At Tynecastle

ABERDEEN'S revolution stayed on the rails with their second gutsy goal-less draw on the trot.

But this week boss Jimmy Calderwood was shaking his head with frustration as he walked up the tunnel instead of punching the air with joy as he did against Rangers - and that has to be progress.

The Dons boss STILL hasn't won at Tynecastle since he came back to Scotland five seasons ago and in fairness it would have been unjust if he'd broken his duck yesterday.

Then again his side competed for everything and didn't deserve to lose either.

This was always going to be a bigger test for Calderwood's new regime than last week's opener against Rangers.

Lifting themselves against the Old Firm has never been an issue - but the Jambos are realistically the team they have to be gunning for in the revolution and they had to be seen to be competing.

That's exactly the word that must have been rattling around in both dressing rooms before the start as well - compete.

Right from the off it was like watching Hurricane Charley hit Tynecastle.

The atmosphere was outstanding, the managers were prowling and the players were biting for everything.

The game had barely started before Phil Stamp went barrelling into Chris Clark right in front of the Dons dugout.

The challenge was perfectly fair and as Clark was picking himself off the deck Calderwood patted him on the back as if to say 'nice one, son - no holding back, eh?'.

The only thing missing in the first half hour was football.

The tempo was too quick for the game to settle and chances were few and far between.

Paul Hartley had a crack from 20 yards that was bound for the top corner until Russell Anderson blocked bravely.

At the other end Craig Gordon superbly blocked Markus Heikkinen's effort after Alan Maybury sold him short.

It wasn't taking much to kick off the excitable crowd and the temperature was turned up a notch in the 24th minute.

Ref Kevin Toner rightly denied a penalty claim from Noel Whelan, much to the Don's disgust. Seconds later Toner was in the thick of things again, doing well to calm down a handbags spat between Ramon Pereira and Zander Diamond who were booked.

The Jambos looked more likely to break the deadlock.

David Preece was called into action to save a Pereira header and a Stamp volley.

But it was just after the half hour when things were REALLY cranked up.

Clark was carrying the ball deep inside his own half when he pulled up in agony, his hamstring a goner.

The ball was still loose but rather than knock it out to allow treatment Graham Weir gathered it, burst forward and floated a delicate cross to Pereira at the back post.

The Spaniard's looping header was falling in under the bar until skipper Anderson cleared under heavy pressure from Hartley.

But as soon as the ball was safe the Dons turned their wrath on Weir as Clark was being carried up the tunnel.

Pereira was becoming a far bigger factor and in the absence of Mark de Vries always looked the most potent goal threat.

His closest effort was a 20-yard shot before the break that zipped inches over.

The Dons had to do two things to come into the game.

Scott Severin had to see more of the ball in the middle, no matter how often he was booed by Hearts fans.

They also needed to offer the front two decent service.

You could have counted Whelan's first-half touches without taking your shoes and socks off. Sub Derek Adams was equally starved beside him. But the Jambos came again after the break and Pereira again forced Preece into a good save, this time from a 10-yard header.

The sun was baking hot and the toiling players were grateful for the chance to take on water just after the hour mark.

Play was halted for a few minutes as linesman Gary Sweeney hobbled off injured.

It didn't take the heat out of the game though, and the big Dons support went nuts minutes later when Kevin McNaughton tumbled in the box.

The defender went on a great run to get there but his tussle with Maybury was neither a foul or a dive.

The Dons finished with greater urgency and Gordon had to show all his size and class to keep things level with six minutes left.

The excellent McNaughton stood one up at the back post and although Adams had no right to win the header he got there and the giant Jambos No.1 was at full stretch to tip it over the bar.

REFWATCH

KEVIN TONER did a great job of keeping a lid on a fiercely competitive clash. Booked five and the crime count was high but few of his decisions were wide of the mark as he took the heat out the game. Under heavy pressure from Dons fans when Whelan tumbled in the box but rightly waved away claims. Rating: 8/10.

Taken from the Sunday Mail