HEARTS 0 ABERDEEN 1

IT'S only seven months since Tynecastle rocked to its rafters in celebration of the Paul Hartley penalty against Aberdeen that sent Hearts into the qualifying stages of the Champions League.

Those heady, heartwarming days felt like a lifetime ago on Saturday as this shadow of a once-proud club stuttered and stumbled against the same opposition before falling flat on their faces en route to their fourth home defeat of the season.

But it wasn't just the fact they lost to Jimmy Calderwood's men -plenty have done that this season as the Aberdeen manager has guided his team to within dreaming distance of the runners-up spot Hearts claimed last term.

This was much more than the shedding of another three points. This looked like a club that is sick. Heart sick.

The sight of Hartley, disciplined by the club in midweek, sitting on the bench while the team cried out for his energy, drive and ability left a knot in the stomach of the vast majority of the 17,000 who looked on. Especially when the player who took his place, Marius Zaliukas, cannot lace his boots.

Then out in a wide-right position, completing yet another 90 minutes, was Saulius Mikoliunas, who contributed absolutely nothing to the cause once more but seems bombproof.

Now before the accusations of xenophobia start, it should be pointed out that there is one Lithuanian in the Hearts ranks who looks like he really cares.

Nerijus Barasa ran all day, flew into tackles and gave everything he had. Yet he remains unpopular with the Hearts fans because he has replaced Robbie Neilson at right-back.

The Scot wasn't even on the bench on Saturday, which was almost as big a scandal as Hartley not being in the starting line-up. Then again, only two homegrown players did makeValdas Ivanauskas' team.

Craig Gordon and Neil McCann must have felt like strangers in their own living room as five of Ivanauskas' countrymen made the starting line-up together with two Portuguese players, a Senegalese and a Greek.

This, of course, was the first match in the post-Steven Pressley era and without the sacked skipper Hearts looked rudderless and certainly leaderless. Gordon might now have the armband but he is too far removed from the players in front of him to have the necessary influence.

Hartley should have been given the captaincy and his value to the team has never been more emphasised than when he finally replaced the hopeless Zaliukas after 65 minutes.

Finally, the Hearts support stirred from its apathy - not even the relentless taunting from the Aberdeen contingent could get them going - and got behind the team as Hartley almost single-handedly tried to win the game.

He had a goal chopped off, he made runs from deep that finally made Russell Anderson and Andrew Considine earn their corn and he was taking potshots from all over the place.

When he wasn't, he was yelling in the ears of his team-mates, trying to elicit some sort of response. In short, Hartley was the Elvis impersonator Hearts had been crying out for but in the end all his efforts were in vain.

Why? Because his team switched off at a throw-in three minutes from time and lost an avoidable goal.

The folly of the decision to allow Pressley to leave was exposed for all to see. All afternoon, Ibrahim Tall and Jose Goncalves looked as if they'd just been introduced to each other in the pre-match warm-up.

Certainly, their partnership in central defence bordered on the shambolic, and they were nowhere to be seen as Jamie Smith set up Scott Severin for a shot Gordon could only parry into the path of sub Steve Lovell to tuck away.

It took an Englishman to break the deadlock but this was an Aberdeen team which started with 11 Scots - a fact that must have delighted Walter Smith who watched from the main stand.

They were the better team unti Hartley was introduced and in Severin, a Scot who was allowed to leave Tynecastle, they had the game's most accomplished player.

Aberdeen's performance and the victory will be a little overlooked as the focus remains on Hearts, but Calderwood's team is motoring and look like offering Rangers, whom they meet on Saturday at Pittodrie, their biggest challenge for what could be a lucrative runners-up spot.

Arock-solid defence provides the foundation and while the midfield could do with more invention, it is organised and capable, while up front Lee Miller is finding his feet and Darren Mackie and Lovell have the knack of scoring near the end of matches when the opposition don't have time to hit back.

Calderwood didn't even try to conceal his delight but he did admit Hearts had made things easier for his team by not including Hartley.

The Dons boss said: "Paul coming on gave them a lift as we knew it would and they created a couple of chances, but I think we deserved it because we had dominated before that.

"I would say they are a better team with Pressley and Hartley in it but that's not my business. But I was quite happy to see Paul on the bench.

"We came here in May and the atmosphere was fantastic when they won a tight game to get into the Champions League. Now it's like this and I've told the players to enjoy these moments because things can change very quickly at a football club."

Ivanauskas isn't long back at the helm after taking time off with a stress-related illness. After the game on Saturday he looked like he had the weight of the world on his slender shoulders and although he contributed to his downfall by leaving out Hartley, he cut a sorry sight.

He said: "We created a lot of chances but if you don't score a goal you can't win games.

"Paul Hartley did very well when he came on. He started on the bench for tactical reasons. It was my choice and you saw when he came on what a good player he is.

"But we win together and we lose together and I will not speak about individual players."

So Hearts lurch on and another week of unwanted headlines will follow as their new captain Gordon is the latest Scot to find himself on a disciplinary rap tomorrow.

When will it end? Nobody knows, but when it does it will almost certainly be in tears.

MAN OF THE MATCH Scott Severin (Aberdeen)

MAN BY MAN

HEARTS

Craig Gordon: Saved late Severin shot but couldn't stop Lovell grabbing winner. 5

Nerijus Barasa: Combative display by sturdy full-back who wasn't afraid to put himself about. 6

Ibrahim Tall:Failed to dovetail effectively with Goncalves. Made couple of errors that went unpunished. 5

Jose Goncalves:Got away with couple of misplaced clearances. Looked ill at ease. 5

Takis Fyssas: Steady enough and got forward well in later stages. 6

Saulius Mikoliunas: Gave usual performance. Did nothing and did it badly. 2

Bruno Aguiar: Desperately tried to add some quality and drive. 7

Marius Zaliukas: Contributed nothing. Replaced by Hartley. 3

Neil McCann: Ineffective display. 4

Andrius Velicka: Tried to feed off Jankauskas but didn't make much of an impression and missed two late chances 5

Edgaras Jankauskas: Good physical presence. Went close from a corner. 5

Subs: Paul Hartley - loudest roar of day when he came on. A threat breaking into box, 7. Michal Pospisil - caused problems, 3 Christophe Berra -on in last minute for injured Goncalves, 1.

ABERDEEN

Jamie Langfield: Made decent save from Aguiar free-kick. Well protected by defence. 6

Michael Hart: Another solid display by an under-rated right-back as he subdued McCann. 7

Russell Anderson: Coped well enough with physical threat of Hearts attack. 7

Andrew Considine: Assured display. Booked for pulling back Velicka. 6

Richard Foster: Adapted well to left-back slot. Then again, he was up against Mikoliunas. 6

Barry Nicholson: Not involved enough. Booked for moaning about a foul. 5

Scott Severin: Pick of midfield in first half and got even better. 7

Chris Clark: Made vital goal-line clearance and put in good shift. 6

Jamie Smith: Didn't show enough against Barasa but played part in the goal. 5

Lee Miller: Went close with lob. Movement decent throughout. 6

Darren Mackie: Left to chase scraps and didn't get chance to test Gordon. 6

Sub: Steve Lovell - came on for Miller after 78 minutes and scored winner, 5.

MOMENT THAT CHANGED THE GAME: When the team sheets were printed and Hartley's name was missing.

Taken from the Daily Record