Events catch up with Rix's men

Hearts 1 Aberdeen 2

FOR 20 minutes on Saturday we were treated to an impeccable demonstration of the kind of Hearts play which has supporters gushing. Domineering, overpowering, enforcing Hearts. Then came the lull, except in this instance the lull remained thereafter.

When Calum Elliot moved his side a goal ahead just nine minutes in, everything in the Tynecastle garden looked rosy, or maroon if you prefer, and it appeared Aberdeen had arrived as the same lambs to the same slaughter at the same venue as seven days previously.

Then Hearts withdrew from the trenches - although their subsequent disorientation was not altogether unexpected given the disruptive preparations endured by the players before this match.

For anyone who is just back from the moon, the decision of majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov to select the team which faced Dundee United at Tannadice last week had a major bearing on Saturday's defeat. Head coach Graham Rix, pictured right, commendably refused afterwards to use the interference from above as an excuse for defeat, but he was also acutely aware that he had just watched the consequences of Romanov's meddling unfold in front of him in a side which had been changed ten times in the course of two matches, excluding substitutions.

"We can't use that as an excuse. That would be feeble," said Rix. "We are professionals and we must do our job no matter what pressure we are under.

"It's been a difficult week, I won't say it hasn't, but we had five, six, seven players off the pace and really we can't even afford one.

"I'm disappointed to say the least. I picked the team, though, and I accept full responsibility."

Intriguingly, there was no sign of Romanov stepping forward on Tuesday night to claim blame for the similarly uninspiring display on Tayside. Rix and Romanov spoke on Friday night and, according to the Englishman, there was no attempt made by the Lithuanian to influence team selection for the following day.

So, from six alterations at Tannadice we had another four on Saturday, Robbie Neilson, Andy Webster and Mirsad Beslija returning and Bruno Aguiar stepping in for his Hearts debut. Full-back Martin Petras retained his place in the side but found himself shunted into the Julien Brellier role in front of the back four with the Frenchman suspended after his midweek dismissal. Rix's attempts to mimic the resounding 4-1 triumph over Hibs a fortnight ago by employing the same 4-1-4-1 formation ultimately backfired. However, when Elliot casually stroked home Rudi Skacel's cutback early on you would have been forgiven for asking "how many?"

Hearts were overwhelming Aberdeen at that point as the visitors' diamond midfield formation toiled to contain the advances of Paul Hartley and Skacel, who was rampaging beyond the badly exposed and out of position Chris Clark at every opportunity.

However, as the first half progressed Aberdeen sensed a reclusion from their hosts and pounced on it. Three times prior to the interval Craig Gordon was required to expertly thwart the visitors at the last moment as Barry Nicholson, Jamie Smith and Danny Griffin all executed long-range shots which had the goalkeeper scrambling around his six-yard box. There was a heart-in-the-mouth moment for Jimmy Calderwood on 35 minutes when Clark's defensive inadequacy saw him appear to block Skacel as he chased a short backpass, however referee Ian Fyfe waved play on.

Overall, the signs of a swing in supremacy in favour of the visitors were evident as the half-time whistle sounded. During the 15-minute hiatus it was Calderwood whose actions were most crucial, as he switched Clark and Griffin to allow the Irishman to shore up the right side of Aberdeen's defence and introduced Ferne Snoyl for Kyle MacAulay.

Rix withdrew his relatively impressive debutant, Aguiar, along with Petras and replaced them with Ludek Straceny and Lee Wallace respectively. With Wallace soon looking uncomfortable in front of the back four, he was moved to the left of midfield as Hearts returned to a conventional 4-4-2.

It was to little effect. The confidence Aberdeen derived from their late first-half domination, combined with the confusion caused by the Hearts changes, allowed the visitors to continue holding Hearts in their own half.

Calderwood would have sensed an equaliser as Rix's midfield appeared somewhat disjointed and therefore unable to command the game, with Straceny in particular looking out of position in the centre and lacking in match fitness. The substitute's distress was eventually ended on 82 minutes when he himself was subbed for Michal Pospisil. Unfortunately, at the end of a testing week in which he led by perfect example off the pitch, Steven Pressley had to endure the ignominy of scoring Aberdeen's leveller when Scott Severin's shot was deflected in by the Hearts captain after Gordon had repelled Snoyl's effort.

The goal was scrappy in nature, but Aberdeen cared not a jot given that it was the first time they had bulged a net at Tynecastle since Roberto Bisconti in January 2002. The tricky Dutchman Snoyl, fast becoming a cult hero in the north east, further endeared himself to the travelling support with only two minutes remaining by skipping past Hartley and Takis Fyssas on the right to fire in a cross which was cleared by Pressley.

Waiting to collect was Clark with the Hearts defence static, and his shot deflected off Hartley to take it beyond Gordon into the goalkeeper's right-hand corner.

"This is a very difficult place to come and I have been done here with last-minute goals and things like that in the past," said Calderwood. "We hadn't scored for a long time here and after we changed the system at half-time I thought we dominated. Hearts will feel unlucky to lose to an own goal and a deflection. But we forced Craig Gordon to make some good saves and overall I think we deserved it. It's great to have Snoyl here and it's been good of Feyenoord to let us have him on loan."

Rix emerged a full hour after the final whistle to deliver his verdict. "I'm concerned with the way we performed. I don't think it was a perfect start but we did okay for the first 20 minutes, got a lot of success in wide situations with two versus ones. Rudi and Takis, plus Robbie and Mirsad on the right, were making good progress out wide.

"One of the things I wrote on the board before the game was discipline. Discipline means doing the things that are bringing you success and keep doing them. That disappointed me. Aberdeen got more in the game later in the first half - and as for the second, you can describe it yourself."

There had been a flashpoint on the hour when Aberdeen assistant Jimmy Nicholl had some words for Fyssas, who had indicated to the referee that Snoyl should be cautioned for a foul on Webster. The Greek defender confronted Nicholl angrily but apologised later for causing any offence.

Fyssas was one of the five Hearts players who would later confront Romanov to clear the air over who exactly had the remit to select the side - Rix or the Lithuanian. The Tynecastle posse would be forgiven for entering that meeting rather sheepishly after their efforts on Saturday afternoon, but if their discussions ensure an end to the uncertainty and disruption at Hearts then there will be a few in Gorgie breathing heavy sighs of relief. And Rix is guaranteed to be amongst them.

Taken from the Scotsman