Aberdeen 0 Hearts 1

A 60th-minute Paul Hartley penalty gave Hearts a 1-0 win over 10-man Aberdeen in the Bank of Scotland Premier League clash at Pittodrie.

The Dons' defence failed to clear a Jamie McAllister corner and Ramon Pereira's header was illegally stopped on the line by the hand of Kevin McNaughton.

The Scotland international was dismissed for the incident before Hartley slammed the ball past David Preece as the Jambos leap-frogged their hosts into third place in the table on goal difference.

The goal originally stemmed from a controversially-awarded corner for the visitors when Russell Anderson appeared to strike the ball off Pereira on the by-line.

But that was the only real talking point in a game that never really came to life until the latter stages.

The Dons were offering little offensively in the early stages and it was the visitors who looked the most likely to get the breakthrough.

It almost came in the in the 15th minute after former Jambo Scott Severin had fouled Patrick Kisnorbo to concede a free-kick 30 yards from goal.

Hartley stepped up to send a powerful right-footed shot crashing off the helpless Preece's post but the ball then spun past for a goal-kick.

That let-off spurred the home side into action and, as they put pressure on the Hearts goal, the Edinburgh side were forced into some desperate defending.

In the 26th minute, Derek Adams set up Steve Tosh 25 yards from goal but the Aberdeen midfielder's shot went wide of Craig Gordon's right-hand post.

When Phil Stamp headed high over the bar from 16 yards following an Alan Maybury cross from the left on the half-hour mark, it typified the lack of genuine threat at either end.

In the 36th minute, Stamp pounced on a loose ball 30 yards from goal but his shot was too tame to bother Preece.

Hartley then swung a great ball across the Dons' six-yard box from wide on the right but found no takers.

In the 58th minute, there was the first shot of the second half from either side, which nearly resulted in a goal for Hearts.

Referee Stuart Dougal upset the home fans when he awarded a corner after the ball appeared to come off Pereira in a challenge with Anderson on the by-line.

McAllister's corner to the edge of the box was met by Hearts defender Alan Maybury whose drive was tipped over the bar by Preece.

But, from the next corner, the Edinburgh side were handed their chance to go ahead when McNaughton handled a close-range Pereira header as it made its way into the net.

McNaughton was instantly red-carded by Dougal, but Pereira was not content with the penalty award and rushed to the assistant linesman to claim the ball was over the line anyway.

When the fuss eventually died down, Hartley slammed the ball into the corner to put the home side ahead before the former Raith forward was substituted by John Robertson for Graham Weir.

Furious Aberdeen fought back and, in the 67th minute, Phil McGuire slammed a 25-yard shot off Craig Gordon's left-hand post before substitute John Stewart, on moments earlier for Steve Tosh, hit the rebound wide.

But Hearts survived to take all three points to ease into third place in the table.

Teams

Aberdeen Preece, McGuire, Anderson, Diamond, McNaughton, Tosh (Stewart 65), Severin, Adams (Foster 65), Clark, Mackie, Whelan.

Subs Not Used: Esson, Morrison, Tiernan, Muirhead, Considine.

Sent Off: McNaughton (59).

Booked: Mackie, Anderson.

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Maybury, Stamp (MacFarlane 88), Hartley, Kisnorbo, McAllister (Hamill 76), McKenna, Pereira (Weir 61).

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, Berra, Stewart, Wyness.

Booked: Stamp, Kisnorbo, Pereira, Neilson.

Goals: Hartley 60 pen.

Att: 13,055

Ref: S Dougal (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com