Aberdeen fall shy of European goal

SCOTT DAVIE
AT PITTODRIE

Aberdeen 2
Byrne (45), Adams (49)

Hearts 0

Referee: I Fyfe. Attendance: 16,155

ABERDEEN were squeezed out of a European place by the slender margin of three goals but if they had possessed more prolific marksmen then Jimmy Calderwood would have marked his first season in charge with a UEFA Cup slot.

This was only their eighth home win in 18 since the current manager replaced Steve Paterson one year ago, surely the only blemish in a campaign that has seen them move from second bottom to fourth top in the time since.

The positives are plentiful as Aberdeen finish with their best tally since the introduction of three points for a win a decade ago with their first victory against Hearts in 13 matches and their first goal against them in an astonishing 872 minutes stretching over more than nine meetings.

That it wasn't quite enough was down to the lack of chances taken rather than those created which is why Calderwood has been actively pursuing Hearts striker Lee Miller, Kilmarnock's Kris Boyd and Steve Lovell at Dundee.

The arrival of one or more of those, and a fee for Bristol City's on-loan frontman Miller has already been agreed, is an enticing prospect for the long-suffering Aberdeen supporters who remained afterwards to give their players a standing ovation.

Hearts last week withdrew their offer in someone who scored 11 times in 23 outings for them, but that might be a blessing for Miller given the reorganisation that will have to take place at Tynecastle after all the problems there.

This defeat, which looked inevitable from early on, means they have lost six and drawn two of their last eight matches this season, but at least they didn't go out of their way to deny their city rivals Hibs a European adventure.

Hearts have been at the centre of more conspiracy theories than anyone since the assassination of JFK, as the reaction to the role of assistant referee Andy Davis in awarding Rangers a penalty at Tynecastle in March proves.

Of course, there would be more chance of Oliver Stone accepting that Lee Harvey Oswald operated alone in Dallas that day in 1963 than convincing the Edinburgh club's supporters that St Mirren gave their all against Celtic on the fateful day in 1986 when the Glasgow side overhauled them for the title.

There was a poignant flashback to Albert Kidd and that era elsewhere yesterday, but it was against that background that sparked suspicion that a Hearts side already traumatised by the events of the season would not be adverse to denying their rivals across the city a place in Europe by contriving the desired result in Aberdeen's favour here.

Any such cynicism would have been dispelled in an opening period where the visitor's battled for every ball and their goalkeeper Craig Gordon was even warned for time wasting on several occasions by referee Ian Fyfe.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood was understandably incensed by such tactics but the three minutes the official added on at the end of the opening period turned out to be fortuitous for his cause.

It was during that extra time that Richie Byrne rekindled hopes that the passports would be of some use after all as Scott Severin measured to perfection a free-kick on the left and the former Dunfermline player arched a header from ten yards into the far corner of the net.

His timing could not have been better for more reasons than one as Byrne has become the target of abuse from a section of the Pittodrie club's supporters after taking some time to settle in to his new surroundings after a transfer north last January.

It was Byrne's aerial threat that carved out his side's best chance prior to that, guiding a Kevin McNaughton cross into the path of Phil McGuire who was denied a goal in his last appearance before leaving Aberdeen in the summer by the width of the post.

Calderwood, famous for his cavalry charges at East End Park, blew the bugle at the interval, replacing the defender with striker Lubomir Blaha and the former Slovan Liberec player made a telling contribution to their second within four minutes of the restart.

The beanpole from the Czech Republic is also leaving after a short, unsuccessful trial period but was around long enough to glance Chris Clark's corner towards the back post where the transfer-listed Derek Adams deflected the ball home.

That increased the decibel level and Pittodrie was rocking when the news of Rangers' goal at Easter Road came through but, as Scott Muirhead steered an effort across goal, Gordon made a marvellous save to prevent Andy Webster from scoring an own goal and Kevin McNaughton headed over from six yards.

Frankly Hearts were shambolic at times in that second period and with more assurance in front of goal Aberdeen might well have got the goals they needed as they pushed forward in numbers.

Calderwood left just two at the back in a brave, if vain attempt to snatch the glory with Hearts' best chance falling to substitute David McGeown, who was set-up by Paul Hartley, the stand-in skipper in the absence of suspended defender Steven Pressley.

McGeown shot narrowly wide of the target in the last minute but by then it didn't matter in terms of anything more significant than the end result, as the real drama was elsewhere.

Aberdeen: Esson, McGuire (Blaha 45), Diamond, Heikkinen (Dempsey 71), Byrne, McNaughton, Severin, Clark, Muirhead, Mackie, Adams (Stewart 77). Subs not used: Preece, Winter, Considine, Macauley.

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Webster, Sives (Tierney 78), Wallace, Mikoliunas (McGeown 65), Hartley, MacFarlane, Hamill, Wyness, Miller (Elliot 65). Subs not used: McDonald, Pelosi, Thomson, Driver.

Taken from the Scotsman