Hearts glad it's over and Don

PAUL KIDDIE
AT PITTODRIE

Aberdeen 2
Hearts 0

THE shrill blast of Ian Fyfe's whistle three minutes into stoppage time at Pittodrie brought Hearts' season to a close - and it didn't come a second too soon for the Jambos.

The clash in Aberdeen saw the Gorgie side complete their 54th match of the campaign - more than any other team in Scotland - and how it showed.

Hearts have been running on empty for the past few weeks and yesterday's performance in going down 2-0 aptly demonstrated how little was in fact left in the tank.

The Dons eased to a first win over their visitors in almost four years and had it not been for the impressive second-half display of Scotland keeper Craig Gordon, the hosts could well have won more comprehensively.

Conspiracy theories had been flying around Edinburgh that the managerless Jambos would lie down to their hosts in a bid to spike Hibs' European dream.

Such talk paid a disservice to players determined to pick up their first win bonus since their shock triumph over Celtic at Parkhead on April 2. But much has happened in Gorgie since that landmark victory and it was always going to be a big ask of the men from the Capital to produce anything near their best form yesterday.

Their season effectively finished with the draw at home to Motherwell, pride being the only thing left to play for in the closing weeks of the campaign.

That ensured a professional enough approach to the Pittodrie meeting but having been kicked where it hurts in two cup semi-finals and seen their own UEFA Cup ambitions fade away, the players are probably glad it is now all over.

It has been a tumultuous season in many respects for Hearts, with the action on the park often playing second fiddle to all the off-field upheaval.

The Tynecastle outfit has been the subject of a takeover this year and they are currently on their third manager in seven months following the sacking of John Robertson - that statistic is set to change again within a matter of weeks when stand-in boss and youth coach John McGlynn reverts back to his reserve duties with the arrival of a new head coach.

Added to that has been the ongoing transfer saga involving Lee Miller and the striker's mind certainly didn't appear to be fully on the game yesterday, the 22-year-old replaced after 65 minutes of an ineffective display.

In keeping with his leg-weary squad, assistant caretaker manager McGlynn bore the look of a man in need of a good holiday as he addressed the media after watching Hearts record their eighth match without a victory.

"I think it was a game too far for our young boys and the team in general," he said.

"They have played a lot of games, including replays in both cups to get to two semi-finals as well as the European matches and I think that told in the end.

"It has been a difficult two games to finish the season with as the teams we have been up against [Hearts faced Celtic last weekend] have had so much to play for.

"I think the guys were a bit wary after going two goals behind yesterday and they didn't come out so much in the second half. Craig Gordon had to make a couple of good saves late in the game and it would be fair to say Aberdeen deserved to win the match."

Of that there is no doubt, Hearts having to defend bravely for large chunks of the game as the hosts pushed for the goals to sustain their Euro dream.

Youngster Craig Sives replaced his suspended captain Steven Pressley for just his second start for the club and alongside Andy Webster, the pair had their hands full at times against a lively home attack.

Decent football was in scant supply in the opening 45 minutes and after Philip McGuire's volley came back off Gordon's left-hand post after 32 minutes, it appeared as if Hearts could be capable of stretching their remarkable shut out record against the Dons to ten matches.

However, Richie Byrne intervened to head home Scott Severin's free-kick in injury time to shatter Gordon's own proud record of almost 500 minutes without conceding a goal against Aberdeen, his effort in fact the home side's first counter against Hearts since Laurent D'jaffo's goal in a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie in August 2002.

Four minutes after the restart and the keeper was picking the ball out of the back of his net for a second time, Derek Adams finishing from close range after Chris Clark's corner had been flicked on by substitute Lubomir Blaha.

With Rangers beating Hibs 1-0 at Easter Road, Jimmy Calderwood could sense just a glimmer of hope as the Dons tried to engineer a six-goal swing to squeeze Tony Mowbray's outfit out of third spot.

Scott Muirhead's cross was inches away from the in-rushing Blaha five minutes later before Byrne sent a left-foot shot narrowly past.

With 13 minutes remaining Gordon reacted brilliantly to prevent Webster, pictured left, putting through his own net, the centre-half having deflected Kevin McNaughton's cross goalwards. The Scotland keeper then leapt acrobatically to tip over McNaughton's header from six yards out in the 86th minute before producing a similarly good save in the last minute to deny John Stewart. The visitors' best opening came in the dying moments of the clash. Paul Hartley set up substitute David McGeown, and as the goal opened up for the midfielder to mark his last game for the club in style - he is being released in the summer - he dragged his shot well wide of target.

It was one of the few occasions Hearts managed to penetrate the Aberdeen back line and McGlynn had no complaints at the final result, Aberdeen's first win over the Gorgie club since October 2001.

"We knew Aberdeen were going to come at us as they had to have a go but I thought the first half was fairly even," said the interim chief, who was left with little to choose from after the departures of Phil Stamp, Kevin McKenna and Ramon Pereira and injuries to Marius Kizys, Mark Burchill, Jamie McAllister, Michael Stewart, Stephen Simmons and David Cesnauskis.

"We were a bit aggrieved at the three minutes which were added on at the end of the first period and that was when Aberdeen got their goal.

"But we let ourselves down as the guy had a free header."

Taken from the Scotsman