Hearts warmed as they seal second
Wednesday, 3 May 2006
by Alex O'Henley from Tynecastle
A second-half penalty from Paul Hartley proved enough as Heart of Midlothian FC beat ten-man Aberdeen FC to clinch second place in the Scottish Premier League, and a qualifying spot in next season's UEFA Champions League.
Nervy opening
The Tynecastle club needed all three points to ensure their first appearance in Europe's élite club competition after Rangers FC had closed the gap to one point with a 2-1 win over Edinburgh rivals Hibernian FC on Tuesday, but Aberdeen - vying for a possible UEFA Cup berth - frustrated the home side in a nervy first half. However, Hearts opened strongly after the restart and made the breakthrough on 53 minutes when Russell Anderson handled a cross from Robbie Neilson to concede a penalty and Hartley stepped up to convert his 17th goal of the season.
'Great night'
Any hopes of an Aberdeen comeback were dashed with ten minutes remaining when former Hearts player Scott Severin was sent off for a second bookable offence, leaving Hearts to contemplate a historic achievement. "It's a great night for me, the players and the supporters," said caretaker manager Valdas Ivanauskas. "The city of Edinburgh wants Champions League football and we can deliver that for them next season."
Gretna joy
The victory means that Rangers have to be content with a UEFA Cup spot for next season and also guarantees European football for Scottish Second Division champions Gretna FC, who play Hearts in the Scottish Cup final on 13 May.
www.uefa.com
|
| 