Hearts 1-1 Aberdeen

Oct 27 2008 David McCarthy Reports From Tynecastle

SUMMER football? Forget about it.

Not when two teams can serve up the kind of cracker Hearts and Aberdeen provided for 14, 000 fans who braved the kind of weather you wouldn't have sent your pet polar bear out in.

It wasn't just raining in the capital on Saturday - the skies were dispensing big dollops of the stuff cold enough to freeze you to the core.

It wasn't just windy, it blew a howling gale that drove the rain vertically into the faces of the players who had to keep moving just to avoid hypothermia.

This was football in the raw. Tackles flying in, chances being made, woodwork being struck, a penalty being given then rescinded, two terrific goals and Csaba Laszlo losing the rag at the end, clashing with the fourth official then squaring up to Dons coach Sandy Clark.

Magic, pure magic and it kept the supporters who turn this ground into the most atmospheric amphitheatre in Scottish football every two weeks on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.

Hell, this even had one of the sharpest put-downs of the season delivered by the Aberdeen fans to their hosts just seconds after thousands of Jambos had sang to them to "Sit Down, Shut Up. Sit Down, Shut Up".

Quick as a flash, the Aberdeen fans retorted: 'Sit Down, Shoot Up. Sit Down, Shoot Up".

P. C. ? Of course not but it was still a pretty quick retort from which there was no comeback. Not off the pitch at any rate.

On it though, Hearts did come back to earn a draw that everyone of the maroon-minded punters believes should have been a victory. But a share of the spoils was the proper outcome.

The Hearts fans poured out of Tynecastle into the rainswept Gorgie streets believing, yet again, officials had conspired against them. And yet again, they were wrong.

The officials merely took their time to get right the flashpoint decision of the match. Five minutes from time, with the score deadlocked at 1-1, Michael Stewart made a burst into the box.

Jamie Langfield plunged at his feet and the midfielder fell in a heap. Referee Steve Conroy pointed to the spot and from his angle it must have looked like a penalty.

But farside linesman Chris Young had a much better view and, more importantly, had the bottle to yell in Conroy's ear and tell him that it wasn't a spot kick.

Bedlam inevitably ensued but the decision was bang on and Stewart really should have been booked for diving into the bargain.

Put it this way, had Saulius Mikoliunas done that, kangaroo courts up and down the land would have been hounding the Lithuanian out of the country.

It led to a monumental crackup from Laszlo at the end, even if the Hearts boss later tried to play it down.

He was making strides towards Conroy before fourth official John McKendrick tried to use his substitute board to block him.

Laszlo angrily shoved it aside and looked ready to take on the world and when former Hearts boss Clark, now in the Dons dug-out, tried to calm him down, he too got a shove and wasn't best pleased.

Before all that, though, there was still time for Hearts to win it and this week it was Jamie Mole's turn to miss a last-gasp sitter to match Christian Nade's in last week's derby.

Deividas Cesnauskas weaved his way through the visiting defence before crashing a shot off the post and when it fell to sub Mole inside the six yard box he lashed it wildly over the top.

Therein lies Hearts' problem this season. They are solid enough at the back, competitive in midfield and when Mikoliunas and Andrew Driver are in the mood - the latter failed a fitness test on Saturday - they are pretty effective in wide areas.

But Hearts don't have a striker worthy of the name and unless that is addressed they'll do nothing of note this season.

Aberdeen's front two of Lee Miller and Darren Mackie were more potent but didn't get the service they needed often enough.

Mackie did take his 13th minute goal well, though, easily racing away from Marius Zaliukas before coolly planting the ball behind Janos Balogh with some style.

The lead lasted for only eight minutes, though, and the Jambos equaliser was just as impressive from tall, powerful left back Lee Wallace.

He charged up the flank, played a slick one-two with Nade that carried him into the box and then rattled a superb effort high into the net from 12 yards.

Aberdeen's second half response was a tale of so near but so far. Miller struck a post with a long range effort, echoing the earlier drive from young right back Jared Hodgkiss, whose thundering 20 yarder had thudded off the bar.

Those were Aberdeen's only real chances, while Hearts missed glorious opportunities through Nade and the impressive Bruno Aguiar, playing behind the striker and whose probing and prompting was a cut above.

Neither team deserved to lose and the visitors' performance was a shot in the arm for boss Jimmy Calderwood, who is once again having to deal with rumours that his position in the Pittodrie hotseat is under threat.

The man got Aberdeen into Europe and kept them there for most of last season.

They've struggled at home this season but their away form - three wins and a draw from five matches - suggests they'll get it right and defender Zander Diamond insists they will, under Calderwood.

He said: "The home record is letting us down, we know that. Regardless of what the fans are saying, we have to be professional but any talk of the gaffer being under pressure is just nonsense.

"We play for him every week. It was blood and thunder and we all had to stand up and be counted out there.

"We showed we have the character to get us up the table. "We only heard after the game but we play for the manager. This talk is ludicrous.

"Two wins and nobody will be talking about him being under pressure. "

Hearts scorer Wallace believes his team did enough to win the game but is now hoping the SFA don't hammer his gaffer for his after-match antics.

He said: "When you see him coming over and reacting, it shows you how much desire and commitment he has. That's the kind of man he is.

"He's got a lot of passion and he's bred that into the players.

"The performances have been lifted by that but it's a case of getting back to winning ways. "

As for the penalty decision, Wallace diplomatically claimed to have been too far away from it.

He added: "The only thing mentioned was that some of the foreign lads have never seen a referee change his decision before.

"At that point, we had Aberdeen on the back foot and we are confident Mikey would have scored. We'll just have to live with it. "

Justice was done though and in a match that neither side deserved to lose, football was the winner.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Bruno Aguiar (Hearts)

MATCH STATS

POSSESSION %

53 47

SHOTS ON TARGET

3 3

SHOTS OFF TARGET

6 5

CORNERS

7 3

FOULS CONCEDED

14 16

OFF SIDES

1 4

HEARTS

MAN BY MAN

Janos Balogh: Left exposed for Dons goal. Did okay apart from one spilled cross. 6

Eggert Jonsson: Had his hands full with Aluko but stuck diligently to the task. 6

Christophe Berra: Dealt with Miller's threat confidently. 7

Marius Zaliukas: Caught out by Mackie's pace at the goal but settled. 6

Lee Wallace: Terrific goal and his pace and drive caught the eye. 7

Saulius Mikoliunas: Energetic, willing display but his crossing was poor. 6

Christos Karipidis: Used ball well in trying conditions. 7

Michael Stewart: Much more forceful after break with a couple of surging runs. 6

Ruben Palazuelos: Caused Hodgkiss a lot of problems. 7

Bruno Aguiar: Never stopped prompting and probing. The most creative player on show. 8

Christian Nade: Played a vital part in the goal but missed a great chance. 6

Subs: Jamie Mole - blew a great late opportunity, 3. Deividas Cesnauskis - hit the post, 3. Audrius Ksanavicius - late replacement for Aguiar, 2.

ABERDEEN

MAN BY MAN

Jamie Langfield:Well beaten at equaliser but survived a tough test as Hearts applied the pressure. 6

Jared Hodgkiss: Improved as match wore on and hit a great shot off the bar. 6

Zander Diamond: Involved in fierce contest with Nade and had a job on his hands holding the defence together. 7

Lee Mair: Should have done better with a headed chance. 6

Andrew Considine: His great ball led to the goal and didn't give too much away at left-back. 7

Derek Young:Workaholic display. 6

Richard Foster: Efficient enough. 6

Scott Severin: Ploughed through a power of work in the engine room. 7

Sone Aluko:Agood outlet on the left but wasn't fed enough. 7

Lee Miller: Didn't get much joy out of Berra but unlucky with a shot off the post. 6

Darren Mackie: Took goal well and looked capable of troubling Hearts. 6

Sub: Charlie Mulgrew - on at the death, 1.

MAGIC MOMENT

Wallace's run, one-two with Nade, and finish for the Hearts goal was absolutely top class.

Taken from the Daily Record